The Eev of Conquest
by SyWry
Summary: 15 years ago, the Warlords of the kingdoms of Aurora and Dragnor rose to power. Now, these two kingdoms dominate Ransei and they have been fighting each other for 10 years. Battles have escalated to Pokemon in the hundreds. A young odd Eevee, who just wants to be normal, will travel to far off lands, make friends and one day be a part of this raging war. Cover by Blazonix
1. Chapter 1 The Odd One Out

Updated on 3/31/2017 for general edits and paragraph fixes.

* * *

Long ago there existed the region of Ransei. A land of Pokémon and Warriors and the bonds between them. There is a legend known throughout the land that whoever can unite all 17 kingdoms will meet the legendary Pokemon who made Ransei. For centuries, the lands have been in constant conflict. Every Warrior yearns to meet the legendary Pokémon. Fifteen years ago, three warlords set out on the journey to fulfill the legend. Two in Aurora and one in Dragnor.

A paw shot up in the air. "Mrs.? Why do we have to learn about this?"

The adult Eevee in the front of the room smiled at the question and glanced at another young Eevee drooling on his desk in sleep. "Because it will be on the test," her words broke the little Eevee from his sleep. I watched from the middle of the classroom, as I always did, trying to keep out of sight of every Eevee. I could feel some of the other Eevee's glancing at me behind my back but it was better than my first day at school. I heard the whispers of the larger Eevee's in the back, the fifth years soon to graduate into the army. I knew that one of them, Blue, would be off to be a Flareon. She would try to get as many poundings in on me as she could before she left.

"Now class listen up," the teacher drove my attention back up to the front, "we will continue this review tomorrow. The results for the latest E exam have been posted. Make sure you check them out. You are all dismissed." All of the Eevee's got out of their chairs and walked out of the classroom. I weaved my way into the middle of the crowd so as not to call attention from the bullies in the back.

I moved into the hall, following the mass of Eevee's as they ran their way to the exam postings. I looked up at the board and went down the list to my name. "Flareon, Vaporeon, Espeon, Jolteon, Leafeon, Leafeon, Jolteon, Espeon, Vaporeon, Flareon, Umbreon…" My eyes scrolled over to my name, "Snow: N.A." My heart sank. I knew that it was going to be N.A. It had been the same for the past two years and this was no different.

"Hey," a voice shouted over the group that I recognized all too well, "Looks like that little odd Eevee got N.A. again."

Another voice spoke beside her. I didn't dare look up at them, "Will she ever amount to anything? I mean she can be an Eevee forever but then she won't go into the military."

"Yeah," another piped up, "she'll have to stay here and be a freak working in the town."

"Well that's nice," Blue said, "we will be waiting for you outside school," She said looking directly at me. I didn't dare look back. They eagerly trotted off.

I looked down the hall towards the entrance. I knew If I went out the front I would be beaten again. Every eye was turned towards me. These beatings were becoming almost daily occurrences as the fall months rolled around. I was scared out of my mind and "it" happened again. Bright sparkles shimmered in a circle around me.

"Awwwww, she's doing it again," one of the Eevee's said in disgust, "she is making that shining thing again."

I ran out of the hall into the bathroom.

I panted as I stepped in front of the mirror, "Why does every Eevee say such mean things? I can't help that I look different!" The image in the mirror was of a pale silver Eevee with sparkles still hanging in the air. _It always looks like all of my color washed out of me when I was born and now there isnothing left but white_. Tears started to streak down my cheeks. _I hate white! I wish that I would wake up one day and be brown like everyone else! I wish I could just disappear._ I waited for what seemed like days in the bathroom. Once I was sure everyone had left, slipped out and went to my secret exit in the back of the school.

* * *

The next day, I was walking toward school. The morning air was cool. I could still feel a soft dew hanging in the air. It always felt refreshing. _I come an hour early to school to avoid the bullies but what if they catch on?_ My heart skittered in fear. _Try not to think about it._ I looked around at the wooden structures making up the Eevee village. It was quiet. Too early in the morning to do anything I suppose. The castle of Aurora hung in the distance. _I hope one day I get to go there_. I saw the school's front gate and started walking towards it. I froze instantly when I heard voices.

"Why did you drag me out here so early in the morning?!"

 _Bullies_! I hid in a nearby ally.

"Wow Espy, you're not usually this cranky when I wake you."

I relaxed, _It's not them_. I started walking back towards the school. The two voices came around a corner into view. I was frozen solid at the sight. An Espeon and Glaceon! _Glaceon_! I couldn't move a muscle. I just stood in the middle of the path with my mind racing.

"Yeah, that's in battle. This is the only time I can relax and actually get a good night's sleep," The Espeon countered grumpily.

"We need to get up this early in order to avoid the crowd. You know this, Espy," Glaceon stated in a smooth voice.

"Doesn't make me any less irritated," they chatted as they walked into the school.

 _Glaceon is going to the school_! My heart started to pound. Before they were out of sight behind the wall, Glaceon looked at me and stopped. She stared for a moment. _Glaceon is looking at me! Glaceon looked at me_!

Then, "Eev?" Espeon asked.

"It's nothing." Glaceon said as she walked past the gate and out of sight.

My heart sank at that comment. _Oh, I see_. My head drooped. _I'm nothing_. I stood there for several minutes fighting back the tears. _I have got to head to school_. My legs didn't budge. I couldn't dare face Glaceon in the front. I turned around and headed behind the school. There I used my secret entrance to get in. Usually I only used it to avoid the bullies but this time it was different.

* * *

Later in the morning, class was in session. "Now listen up Eevee's," the teacher spoke in her sweet voice, "The first Eevee to ever come about was with the masters since they were children. They recruited seven other Eevee's throughout their childhood and today they make up the special Eevee task force with Glaceon as their leader. Can anyone tell me which of the 7 Eevee's did the Masters meet first?"

 _Glaceon_. I thought.

"Anyone," a brown paw went up.

"Uhm, Glaceon?"

"Yes, very good. The first ever Eevee that the masters had became our one and only Glaceon. With the leadership of Glaceon, the Eevee Special Forces, or ESF, has become the strongest force in the military. They are able to take on many Legendary Pokémon with ease. Along with the EFS, there is the Flareon division, the Vaporeon division, the Jolteon division, the Leafeon division and the Espeon division." She pointed to each of the bubbles on the board with the names of the divisions in them. "The Umbreons don't have an official division because they usually work alone. However, there are enough of them to make up a division. Then we have the standard division where all the non-Eevee Pokémon and warriors are organized. Oh, and don't forget that Glaceon is the leader of the entire military. All orders come from Glaceon or directly from the Masters."

After I had scribbled everything down in my notes, I stared at the bubble at the top of the board, "Glaceon."

I overheard some whispers, "I wish I could be a Glaceon. Then I could boss everyone around."

 _I wish I could be a Glaceon,_ I thought in response _, then no one would pick on me for being different_.

"The ESF and the military have been in constant conflict since our Masters became the Warlords of Aurora. Can any Eevee tell me the current front lines and who we are fighting against?"

 _Illusio, Terrera and Nobunaga,_ I thought.

A brown paw went into the air. "Someone else this time?" No other Eevee responded. She sighed, "Fine, what is it?" She gestured to the Eevee with his paw raised.

"Illusio and Terrera are the front lines. We have taken all the rest of the kingdoms west of them. And we are fighting against all the eastern kingdoms controlled by Nobunaga."

I heard a whisper from behind me. "Know it all Espeon's."

 _I don't think they're know it all's. I think they just know things._

"Well, partially correct," a voice came from out of the room, "the front lines around Terrera have recently extended into Cragspur." Glaceon walked into the room. All eyes snapped to Glaceon with various expressions of amazement. I starred at Glaceon, soaking in the beauty. Glaceon's coat looked like an iceberg, encased in blue. Blue trapezoid ears stood up from the back of the head. Two rope-like appendages hung down from the iceberg on the forehead. "Hello, every Eevee." Glaceon's silk voice flowed over the dazzled crowd. "I am here to tell you that tomorrow there will be another E test and anything else that is scheduled will be pushed back a day."

I heard a few whispers, "Another E test?"

"Isn't once a year enough?"

I was so focused on the whispers I didn't notice Glaceon eyeing me for a second.

"I wish you luck in the coming test," Glaceon snuck another glance at me before leaving the room.

"With that, I think it's a good time for recess."

* * *

The Eevee's all went off to play in the field. I went off to my secret exit and hid in the tunnel. I kept an ear out. I've always had rather acute hearing. I could hear the playing and laughter of the Eevee's but I tensed as I heard the voices of the bullies.

"Hey you!" Blue's voice was unmistakable.

"What do you want from me?" Another Eevee spoke but I didn't recognize his voice.

"Well, you haven't paid your dues yet, so why don't you just hand them over." I heard clinking as the Eevee handed them her gold. "You trying to short us here?" Blue threatened. I could hear the thumps as they beat on him.

I curled up, trying not to cry.

"That's all of it. Let's get out of here," Blue walked off.

I wanted to see if the Eevee was okay. I was terrified of being caught by the bullies but I couldn't just leave him there. I poked my head out of the hole and looked around. The bullies were walking off and no one else was around. I looked to the side and saw the beaten Eevee. Just looking at him I could feel the pain coursing through my body. I walked up to him and asked, "Are you okay?" I reached a paw to help and he smacked it away.

"Get away from me you freak."

I tensed and turned my back to him.

He got up and limped back towards the rest of the Eevee's.

Fighting back tears I went back to my hole.

* * *

The next day, we gathered around a large pond in a nearby forest. This was our forth E test of the day and this was the only one I was mildly looking forward to. I didn't need to see the results to know I failed at the other three I had taken. Catching your tail on fire and running around like a maniac didn't seem like a Flareon to me. Getting electrocuted also didn't fit, and communing with nature was nice but obviously not for me.

 _I'm not sure why I like this test above all the rest, especially the nature test. It is something to do with water. I don't know why but for some strange reason, even though I don't like water and can't swim to save my life, there is something about it that sooths me. Maybe I am meant to be a Vaporeon, but I fail this test every year too. Maybe I am just a failure._ My head drooped.

"Alright Eevee's, gather around," our instructor was a Vaporeon. He has been the exam proctor for a long time and always seemed a little lax for the job. "Come on every Eevee, it is time to begin the test." I made sure to hide myself in the crowd. Especially since Glaceon was sitting nearby. I snuck a glance.

 _Glaceon wasn't at the other E tests. Why at this one? And why be here if all Glaceon is doing is reading those papers and not paying attention at all?_

"Now every Eevee look here," my focus was directed towards the instructor. "Your goal is simple, get to the other side of the pond. Rules: you cannot walk around, you have to be in at least head deep water and, no, you can't use anything but your body to get across." A giggle spirted from the crowd at that. "Alright, everyone to the edge of the pond." We all stood at the edge of the water. "Ready? On your marks, get set…" I held my breath and closed my eyes "…GO!"

I ran as fast as I could into the water.

 _I don't know why I run, and not dive, like other Eevee's but it just feels natural._ For less than a second I felt like I was floating. I hopped, once, twice, then plummeted into the water. I opened my eyes and began to panic. I tried to swim like my teacher taught me but the water around me refused to move. I kept falling deeper and deeper and it felt like the very water was carrying me down. Then a pair of paws grabbed me and I was dragged to the surface. I came out of the water sputtering and hacking as Vaporeon tossed me onto the ground like a flopping Magikarp.

"Honestly, every time. I would let you skip if I could. Sure would save me a lot of trouble." He walked off to observe the rest of the Eevee's. I looked over to see Glaceon staring right at me. Then Espeon whispered something in Glaceon's ear. My mind was racing. _What was she saying?_ _"Look at that loser over there. She couldn't even make it past the first few steps. She's so weak, she is such a dult, such a failure. She is such a disgrace to you Glaceon."_ Tears started to well in my eyes as my mind conjured the worst. I got up and ran into the forest as fast as I could, ignoring the shouting from behind me.


	2. Chapter 2 The Journey Begins

I finally stopped running as my legs grew limp. I flopped onto the cold ground. Tears coming out of my eyes.

"I can't believe I did that in front of Glaceon. I just ran away." I sobbed.

I felt alone, useless. I felt like I couldn't go back despite how much I want to.

I cried for hours before I ran out of tears. I lay on the ground unable to get up.

I heard voices.

I jumped to my paws and into the bushes.

 _I don't want to be found._ I coward behind the leaves.

Then, as the voices came closer. I peeked out of the bushes to see the Master and a pink lady with him. The lady waked with a tall Wigglytuff behind her.

 _The Master! What is he doing here?!_

"Oichi," the Master said, "you need to be less skittish. That fight in the last battle you just ran away from your attacker."

"I'm sorry Master. I just get so scared. I…I am just not fit to be a Warrior."

"It's not wrong to be scared Oichi," the Master soothed, "All the Warriors on the battlefield are scared, but they keep moving forward. They're scared that they'll get hurt but they stand firm against all opponent because they want to protect others. You are a Warrior just like everyone else. You have the strength to be one of the best Warriors we've got, just need to believe in what you want to protect." The Master started to walk off, "Stay here as long as you like."

Oichi shook her head, "No, I think I am ready to come home."

They smiled as they walked out of sight.

" _All Warriors are scared, but they keep moving forward."_

I looked down at my paws. I felt like I was going to cry. _I'm scared_. I pushed past the bush and made my way back to the pond.

* * *

It was late afternoon. I managed to find my way back to the pond. No one was around.

 _I hadn't skipped school in a while and I will probably be punished severely for skipping out on the E tests. I don't feel like going home yet._ I looked down into the reflection of the pond. My pale face peered back at me. I tried to hold back tears at the sight.

"Hey," I froze in fear at Blue's voice "so we finally found you."

I slowly turned around to look at the three bullies.

"You know you're in so much trouble for skipping the E tests today. What's wrong, you afraid to fail again."

Two Eevee's started to move to the side, cornering me against the water's edge. I stepped back and instantly recoiled when it encountered cold liquid.

"Not like it is going to matter anyways, you will never amount to anything," cowering, sparkles encircled me like the three bullies as they inched towards me.

"BEEEBAREL!" A tail swooped all of us off our paws and into the lake.

I started to stand up.

 _Wait how could I s-stand if I was thrown towards the lake?_

I looked down. _The entire lake is frozen! What_?!

I didn't have time to think about it as I heard the cry again, "BEEEEBAREL!"

A Bibarel was standing on the side of the lake where I had just been and was trying to get to me…no…us.

I am standing right next to the bullies. I was freaking out and tried to get away.

I ran across the ice effortlessly. When I looked back, the bullies weren't moving…no, they couldn't move. There legs kept slipping out from under them when they tried to stand.

The Bibarel started to rush the bullies. _I…I have to do something. I want to help them_. The Bibarel was getting closer to them. _But I'm scared_ …

I hear the Master's words echo in my mind, " _Warriors are scared that they'll get hurt but they stand firm against all opponent because they want to protect others_."

I furrowed my eyes and my body sparkled. _I want to become a Warrior, so I need to stand firm against all opponent_.

I lunged at the Bibarel as fast as I could, easily out speeding it.

I hit him right in the belly and he reared back in a cry of agony. "BEEEEEBAREL!"

He turned his focus on me and charged with a mighty Headbutt.

I moved out of the way of his charge.

I saw he had a hard time turning around on the ice.

 _Now is my chance_. I thought.

I moved in and hit him with a tail whip.

He flung his massive tail back at me in response.

I was thrown into the middle of the lake by the force of the strike.

I felt something snap as my body hit the ground.

As I got back to my paws, my side and back left leg throbbed. _I never fought in a battle before but I think I like this. It is like I know what to do, know what movements to make_. _My leg hurts but I can't worry about that now, I need to be strong, stand firm._

Stars glimmered around me. I rushed at him slower than before. He swung his tail at me.

Reading the move, I slid under it. I had a clear shot at his belly.

I thrust everything I had into one big tackle.

The Bibarel staggered and fell.

I panted furiously as I stared at his still form. _I…I did it? Did I do it_?

"Well what do you know?" The bullies carefully circled around me, minding the ice. "Looks like you did it hero. Well, you going to do it again?" He asked in a snicker.

I started to shake as my vision blurred.

I tried to back away from the bullies as darkness started to creep into my vision.

My legs slipped out from under me and the world seemed to fall apart around me.

I had a glimpse of something blue before everything turned black.

* * *

I felt the warm embrace of my bed as I began to wake. Everything felt foggy as I opened my eyes. _Where…where am I_? Examining the features of the room I discovered I'm in my bedroom. I tried to get up but a searing pain from my side and back leg kept me pinned to the bed. _How did I get here? Last thing I remember was being hit by…no…taking down a Bibarel? Did I even do that? I couldn't have. I am not that strong_.

I started to move out of my bed, ignoring the pain that shouted at me to stay.

When I made it to all fours, my back left leg violently objected and I collapsed.

I got back up, more gingerly this time, and limped my way out of the room. I put all of my focus into maintaining my balance as I walked down the stairs. I was too dazed to even notice the chatting in the dining room.

I turned the corner and stopped in my tracks, mouth agape in shear astonishment.

"Gl…Glaceon?!"

My parents who sat at the table smiled at me, "your awake! Finally! You had us worried when we heard you ran off like that. Glaceon here found you and brought you home. We are truly honored that you brought our daughter back to us."

Glaceon sat like a stoic iceberg, "May I speak with you in private?" Glaceon directed the question at me.

My mind couldn't stop racing, _Glaceon wants to talk to me! Glaceon wants to talk to me!_ but all my mouth could spit out was, "Hum…uh…"

"Of course," my parents said for me, eager to please Glaceon, "we have been needing to get a few things anyways."

The two of them eagerly left me behind.

I was so stunned that all I could do was stand in the doorway.

"Well, come take a seat," Glaceon gestured with one of the two tails on the forehead.

I limped my way over to the table.

"How's your leg?" Glaceon asked in a sweet voice.

"It's alright, it doesn't hurt that much," I lied.

"It is broken," Glaceon said flatly.

"Well…nothing that a month won't fix," I retorted weakly.

"I would like to ask you something,"

I perked up with great enthusiasm, _What? What could Glaceon want from me? Maybe she will make me a part of the army_?!

"Do you want to become a Glaceon?"

My eyes grew wide and I just stared at her for a moment _. Did…she just say…_ Sparkles started to shine around me I blurted at the top of my lungs, "Yes!" I instantly covered my mouth. _I didn't mean to say that so loud_.

Glaceon only chuckled, "Well, I will get the arrangements made."

 _Arrangements_? "Arrangements? You don't have to do anything special for me."

She chuckled again, "oh, but you are special."

I drooped, "I…I am not…"

"You are special," Glaceon interrupted, "you are the first Eevee to have ever exhibited Glaceon characteristics besides myself," I perked up, "you are the first Eevee, to have passed the Glaceon E test. Although I just made that up." Glaceon said that last part in a whisper.

"I…I did?" I said meekly, the first fragile tendrils of hope beginning to solidify.

"Yes. Now why don't you head to an Audino to get patched up."

"But aren't Audino's healing only for military use?" I asked.

"As of now, you are part of the military," she handed me a golden card with a smiling Audino on it, "this will get you priority treatment. After you get fixed up, head to the school. They will have your test ready to take early."

"Early?" I asked

"Yes, because tomorrow morning when the sun is just above the horizon, you will meet me at the sky port. There we will take a blimp to our training grounds."

I was beside myself at the idea, _Tomorrow I get to become a Glaceon! Tomorrow I get to become a Glaceon!_

"But be prepared," Glaceon's words interrupted my thoughts, "we may be gone for a long time. At most a year."

I beamed at Glaceon, "Okay."

* * *

The morning's chill had always comforted me. Today, it felt like the air of a bright new future was upon me.

I ran across the open field towards the sky port. The sun had just barely peeked out across the horizon. I could see the sky port across the field.

As I approached the gate, I was in awe at the sight. Glaceon stood with Leafeon, Umbreon, Espeon, Flareon and Jolteon. _Wow the entire Eevee Special Forces is here…and looking slightly annoyed?_

"Is something wrong?" I asked, "am I late?" My mind instantly started thinking up ways to apologize when Jolteon, cut off that line of thinking.

"You're not late but **some Eevee** is."

I took another head count of the group, _Oh Vaporeon is missing._

"There's Vapor," Jolteon whisked by me with trials of electricity following in her wake. "Come on Vapor, pick up the pace." Jolteon practically threw Vaporeon into the group at lighting speed.

"Ow, I don't see what the big deal is. I got here, didn't I?" Vaporeon spoke in an uncaring tone.

"We were supposed to all be together to surprise Eevee." Jolteon instantly covered her lips.

"Wow Jolt way to blurt it out," Flareon said with a snarky tone.

"Just be quiet all of you," Glaceon shot back at them.

They all shut their mouths and stood a little straighter.

"Well," Glaceon focused on me, "What do you think?"

The seven different evolved forms towered over me radiating a beauty that I had only ever imagined before.

I was in complete awe, "You guys look amazing," I breathed as stars flashed around me.

Glaceon was looking even more stoic than before.

Then Flareon said from behind, "you done filling up your ego?" Glaceon instantly deflated as if her bubble was popped and her cheeks grew a bit darker.

"I…I was just wondering…" Glaceon's argument was so weak that even I could see through it.

"Yeah," Espeon said, "I have seen just how much you love the spotlight."

Glaceon's cheeks grew an even darker shade of blue. _Is that how Glaceon's blush?_ I asked myself.

Glaceon's hard demeaner returned with a sly smile, "Oh, Espy I know all too well what you love."

Espeon's cheeks grew bright red as she shouted, "This conversation is over!"

Espeon then walked away from the group.

"Why'd you have to go and do that Eev?" Flareon said in disappointment.

"You heard her, this conversation is over. Now let's go sit by the Masters and never talk about this again…ever."

The group moved towards our Masters when Flareon tossed over her shoulder, "Way to kill the mood."

As Glaceon walked away, I heard her mutter under her breath, "Haven't had to use that card in a while."

I tried to catch up with Glaceon as she moved with the group.

They sat down in formation, with Glaceon in front and the other six in a line facing Glaceon.

I circled for a moment. _Where do I go?_ _What do I do?_

Then Glaceon grabbed my attention by patting the ground to the right.

I nervously walked over and sat next to Glaceon. My thoughts couldn't stop racing. _I am sitting next to Glaceon! I am sitting next to Glaceon_! I looked up to see Glaceon smiling down at me. I instantly lowered my head as I felt my cheeks begin to burn.

Glaceon chuckled and simply said, "listen."

I looked up to see the Master and Mistress talking. A young girl, with a Wigglytuff, nervously watched them. A huge blimp waited behind them with stairs extending from its base.

"I know you're not very good at fighting on land," the Mistress spoke to Master, "but try your best and be sure to ask Shingen or Kenshin if you are ever unsure about anything, okay?" Worry was etched in her face.

"It's okay," the Master said, "it's not like I am completely unfamiliar with land combat."

"Alright," she said unconvinced, "if you need anything, just talk to me though Espy."

The Master chuckled, "it's alright. Honest. And if you keep this up your going to miss your flight. Look," the Master turned to face us, "they are already here and waiting."

I fidgeted under their gaze.

"Alright, I will get going," she walked onto the stairs of the waiting blimp.

"Goodbye Mistress," the girl with the Wigglytuff shouted.

Glaceon stood up, along with the rest of the group, and walked to the blimp's stairs.

I promptly followed.

When Glaceon reached the stairs, she turned to face the group, "Alright everyone,"

I stood front and center but when Glaceon addressed the group, I immediately backed away.

"Espy will be in charge until I get back. Only thing to say now, hold down the front."

"YEAH!" all six of them shouted in unison.

Glaceon smiled that warm smile and started to climb the stairs.

I began to follow when I was suddenly swooped off my paws and squeezed vigorously.

"Oh, this little Eevee is so cute," I struggled under the crushing embrace. Sparkles came out of me as I struggled.

"Mistress, I think you're hurting her," Glaceon said with more annoyance than concern.

The Mistress held me out in front of her and we looked into each other's eyes, "I know, I will call you Shiny Snow. Shine for short."

"Shiny Snow?" I heard the Master call from below, questioningly.

"Well, she looks like snow and that's her name," she yelled back at him.

"Nicknames are supposed to be short, why did you make it so long?"

"Well, didn't you see her sparkle? It was so beautiful I just had to add it to the name."

The Master had no retort after that.

 _Shiny Snow_ , I shuttered a bit, _why am I getting a name on my sparkles? I hate those things._ The

Mistress put me down and walked into the ship, "You coming Shine? Eev?" Glaceon hopped on to the Mistress's arm and climbed up to her shoulders.

I nervously climbed the huge steps one by one.

I noticed the pair in front of me wave goodbye as they walked up the steps.

When I had made it into the airship, the hatch behind me closed and we began to take off.

* * *

The cabin we sat in was cozy. A few chairs were strewn about. A table sat in the middle and there were windows peering out into the world below.

I sat in a chair directly opposite the Mistress. Glaceon was sitting in the Mistress's lap. I marveled at how Glaceon could be so close to her.

"You might as well get comfy now Shine," Glaceon looked at me, "because from tomorrow on, you won't be able to get comfy."

"Do you have something in mind?" the Mistress asked.

"I have a few things in mind…" Glaceon looked at me with a sinister smile.

I shuddered in my seat.

"Now, now Eev, don't scare her like that," the Mistress said with a chuckle, "so, Shine, do you know where we are headed?"

"Uhm…" I stuttered, _I can't believe it, I am talking to the Mistress!_ "uh…The Glaceon training grounds?"

The Mistress chuckled, "No. We don't have Glaceons so we don't have Glaceon training grounds. We are headed up north to Nixitorm. I am actually good friends with Mitsuhide, the old Warlord there. We will train for most of the year as honored guests."

Nixitorm, _I remember that name, it is the furthest north kingdom of all of them and under Nobunaga's control_.

"Uhm…Isn't that kingdom under Nobunaga's control? How will we be able to get there if it belongs to Nobunaga?"

"Why, yes it does belong to Nobunaga, but Mitsuhide and I have been friends for a long time, before Nobunaga. It all happened with little old Eev here."

"Oh, please don't tell her this story," Glaceon protested.

She giggled, "Oh come now Eev, we're going to be together for a long time, might as well tell her about how you became a Glaceon,"

I immediately perked up.

"And look, it seems like Shiny Snow wants to hear it too."

Glaceon scowled at me and I instinctively shrank back.

"Fine," she said with a defeated attitude.

"Awe, don't be like that. You were so happy when you evolved," Glaceon tried to hide her blush. "Well now you see, it all started back when Eev was just a little Eevee. Back before we were warlords, so long ago…

* * *

"Eev two to the left!" a Treecko and Pansage lunged out at me.

I quickly spun around, bolted behind them and nailed them in the backs with two quick attacks.

They went down in one hit.

"Nice job Eev!" The Mistress congratulated me.

"Ugh, it is not nice," I said with irritation.

"Don't worry," the Mistress tried to reassure me, "you'll evolve eventually…"

"EVENTUALLY!" I turned on her, "I have been training for years in many different kingdoms and I have not got even an inkling of whether I will evolve or not. All the others have already evolved! Maybe I am just destined to stay an Eevee," I slumped "maybe I will be stuck like this," I sniffed. The Mistress came up and hugged me tight.

"We will find a way," she said with certainty.

"HEY!" a voice called out from the distance. We turned to look.

"Motonari!" The Mistress yelled back in response.

He came running up to us with his Servine in tow. "Hey," he panted, "I found something that might interest you. A list of possible Eevee evolutions."

"WHAT!" We both said in unison.

"Yeah, I was shocked to find it too. It is pretty old and not everything in it is true. Like the best way to evolve into a Flareon is to throw yourself in an active volcano or this wacky idea that if you give them enough love and attention they will evolve," I shuddered at that.

"I would rather not," I told the Mistress.

She looked at me with an evil smile.

My eyes widened.

I tried to hop out of her grasp but it was too late.

She hugged me so hard I felt like I was going to pop.

"You want to evolve," she said innocently, "I'm just helping you get your wish." I struggled for air under her crushing embrace.

Finally, she let me go and I grasped for air.

"Anyways," Motonari continued, "it says that there is a form Eevee can achieve by going to train in the frozen north. The book calls this form a Glaceon. There is a kingdom in the frozen north. I think it was called Nixitorm."

"Glaceon, Nixitorm, huh," the Mistress said in wonder.

"Let's go!" I said with enthusiasm.

"But Eev, we don't know if we can get a ride let alone if it will work," the Mistress tried to persuade me.

"I don't care if it doesn't work, I am willing to try anything!"

The Mistress held my gaze. I tried to stare back at her with as much intensity as possible.

"Alright, I will get an airship ticket."

"Yippy!" I shouted and bounced around in her arms.

* * *

…Awe, you were so cute back then, Eev," the Mistress said as she petted Glaceon.

"And I am happy that I'm not anymore. I no longer get crushed to near death when I am not looking."

"Back to the story, we went to Nixitorm and met with Mitsuhide and his daughter Gracia. The three of us became great friends. After three months, we were all really excited when Eev evolved into a Glaceon! Then we had to head back home. Mitsuhide has been with Nobunaga for quite some time now. I'm just glad that he agreed to let us come without informing Nobunaga."

I bowed my head and looked out the window. The ground was white and I could see the faint image of a blue mountain in the distance.

"Oh, we're here?" the Mistress asked in surprise, "well, time flies when you are reminiscing."

She got out of her chair and headed to the door.

I promptly followed.

Glaceon stood by my side as we waited for the ship to land.

Then the door opened.


	3. Chapter 3 The Kingdom of Ice

The frigid fresh air came pouring into the cabin and I couldn't help but shiver. The airfield was covered in snow and ice type Pokémon. Half of them seemed to be watching us while the other half watched the skies.

We slowly descended the stairs as two other people came walking up to us.

"Mitsuhide! Gracia! It is so nice to see you again," the Mistress called out in glee.

"It is so nice to see you, too!" A little girl returned the sentiment.

We ran up to the two of them. One was a tall man coated in armor who stood looking at us with an easy smile and a Lapras by his side. I assume he was Mitsuhide. The other was a small girl dressed in black and pink and covered with white bows. A Gothitelle stood menacingly behind her. That must be Gracia.

"Long time no see. How have things been going on your end?" Mitsuhide asked.

When Glaceon entered my vision, I switched my attention from the masters to Glaceon. "Good to see you again, Lapras," Glaceon said.

"Nice to see you as well. How have you grown since last time?" Lapras asked.

"Sizing me up for battle?" Glaceon said in a playful tone.

Lapras chuckled, "Even if, I work for the navy not for the army. We would never meet on the battlefield."

"When I get my armies up here, you will no longer be able to run away to the sea," they both smiled at each other.

"I've missed you. By the way, what is with all the security?" Glaceon asked.

"This is to make sure that Nobunaga isn't watching. We must take the necessary preparations to protect our friends." I noticed Lapras looking away for a second, "Oh, the Masters are leaving. We can catch up on the way."

The two of them walked off, following the masters. The Gothitelle walked off with them, not speaking a word.

My legs locked up. I was too frightened and confused move. _How are they such good friends when they are enemies?_

A Gothorita came up beside me.

"Mistress," I jumped.

"What, I am not a Mistress," I spoke in a timid voice.

"My apologies, Master."

"That isn't what I meant."

"Either way," she said, "You should stay with the Masters. It will be safer if you do."

I felt more uncomfortable around this Gothorita and ran after the masters.

* * *

Glaceon and I were being escorted to our rooms by Gothitelle and a few of her Gothoritas. The hallway was made completely out of ice. However, it wasn't out of a single chunk. Rather the ice that adorned the walls and ceiling were elegantly sculpted to make intricate patterns. Pillars of ice separated the doors to each of the rooms we passed. Gothitelle stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned to face us.

"This will be your room Glaceon." She pointed to the room on her left. "And this will be yours." She pointed to the door on her right and stared at me with a gaze that made me shiver. "If you need anything else, ask one of my Gothoritas. They would be happy to help with any of your needs." Gothitelle walked off leaving us and the two Gothoritas behind. Glaceon looked at me.

"Rest now because starting tomorrow there will be no such thing as comfort for you." A wicked smile crossed Glaceon's face.

My shivering turned into flat-out trembling. _Has it always been this cold in here?_ I wondered.

"Though I need to say," Glaceon's face turned serious, "We are guests here and I want you to be on your best behavior. No misbehaving and do not insult, criticize or callout anyone or anything to our hosts. If you have a problem, come to me and I can take care of it." Glaceon walked into her room with one of the Gothoritas.

I meekly walked over to the tall door of my room. I opened it and entered the room. It was smaller than I expected. A single room with ice adorning every surface. Yet to the touch, they felt warm. A bed sat in the far corner and a window looked out over the kingdom. I moved over to the bed and put my paw on it. It felt soft.

"If the sheets are not to your liking, we can get new ones." I jumped and quickly spun around. Gothorita was standing next to the door.

"Uh, no they are fine." I spoke tentatively, "I am just not used to all this."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, Glaceon just brought me here from my home yesterday. I was never treated like something special and I guess I am still not used to it." _Is that it? I am not sure. It could be just an unfamiliar environment that I haven't gotten used to but…_

"Lucky you." I heard her say in a whisper.

"What was that?" I asked

"What?! Uh…um…" she hesitated for a while before speaking, "Well, you see, ever since Gothitelle became the Mistress's Pokémon, things have gotten a lot stricter around here but…you don't want to hear any of this gossip." I looked at her, yearning for her to tell me more. She sighed and shut the door. "Well, before when the Mistress had Musharna, she would sleep all the time and there was no one to tell us maids what to do. We ended up making our own system of doing the chores. When Nobunaga took over, he had the Mistress link with Gothitelle. She dismissed our system and is now imposing her own harsher system. She can follow our movements and actions with her psychic power and if we do something wrong…" she started to shiver, "I am nothing special and if I try to do something special…" she looked down and didn't speak.

 _What do I do, if anything at all?_ I thought, _I don't know, but maybe…_ "I know what it feels like to not be special, and, and I…" _Ugh I am botching this up._ "I know what it feels like to, to be…"

Her eyes started to glow a bright pink. I stood there for a moment watching her. _What is she doing?_ Then my mind started to throb and the face of my school bully flashed through my mind. "NO, STAY AWAY!" I leaped over to the bed and dived beneath the sheets.

"Oh, my gosh, I am so sorry!" Gothorita spoke in a frightful voice, "I just wanted to check, I just wanted to see if you really were…" I could hear sobbing, "Gothitelle I am so sorry. Please forgive me."

I popped my head out from under the sheets. "It's okay," _Is it?_ "You didn't mean to do it," _did she?_ "I forgive you," _did I?_

Those words seemed to make her freeze. "I have to go," fear was etched in her voice.

"No," I said quickly, _I can't do much but I can at least do this_. "I want you to stay. Here."

She whipped her tears and whispered, "thank you."

* * *

The sun was barely above the horizon as I walked up to Glaceon, panting, "your morning run is over?" She asked me as I tried to catch my breath.

"Yes," *Pant* "I finished." *Pant*

"Then today we are battling. Head to the battlefield. I will get you an opponent."

I slowly made my way towards the field. _It has been three weeks of non-stop exhausting training. The tasks Glaceon asks me to do are really hard and most of the time I end up failing. The only thing I feel like I am succeeding at are the classroom sessions I have with Glaceon. I hope I'll have some success with a battle. This is the first time Glaceon has told me to battle another Pokémon. I wonder…No, I'll probably fail just like the rest of the tasks Glaceon assigns me._ I slumped.

"Hey don't look so down, I am sure you will get the hang of it. After all, you have a year." Gothorita spoke in a cheery voice. She said her name was Gothia, I think. I am a little bad with names.

I cracked a smile, "Yeah I'll get it eventually." I tried to push that thought out of my mind. We walked down the corridor, talking and laughing. Suddenly, Gothia stopped talking and snapped to attention. I looked behind me to see Gracia and Gothitelle walking behind us. Gracia skipped down the hall, smiling all the way. She said "Hi" to us as she passed. Gothitelle walked behind her staring at me with that menacing glare. They turned the corner and I could hear whispers.

"Why are they even here? Why would you let enemies into the castle?" Gothitelle spoke. I couldn't hear the response. "That isn't a reason. They could be spying. If we act now, we could…" She was cut off by Gracia. A few moments of unintelligible chatter and I heard Gothitelle say, "Yes Mistress." I could hear their footsteps as they walked off.

"Let's head to the battlefield before Glaceon gets impatient." I nodded and headed down the hall.

* * *

We exited the castle right into a small patch of ice. The "Battlefield," was nothing more than a flat iceberg with some pillars holding it a few centimeters off the ground. Glaceon stood at the edge of the field talking with Lapras. I walked up to them.

"Um, Glaceon?" I asked, wary of intruding on the conversation.

"Perfect timing," Glaceon said, "Your opponent just arrived. Get up on the battlefield and we will begin." I timidly climbed onto the field. A large Sealeo sat on the other side of the battlefield, patiently waiting for me. I moved to the center of the arena and looked over at Glaceon. Glaceon and Lapras stood side by side, both watching me intently. I felt uncomfortable. Shining stars swirled around me.

"Good luck out there." Lapars tried to reassure me.

"Begin!" Glaceon shouted.

Instantly, Sealeo shot a powerful Powder Snow at me.

I dodged as quickly as I could. Then he charged and hit me with a Rollout.

I got back up and tried to fight back.

I lunged forward and slammed myself right into his stomach as hard as I could. All that seemed to do was dig myself deep within his rolls of fat.

I pulled myself free and lunged at his face with a Bite. It didn't seem to phase him.

I put distance between us. He shot a Water Gun at me.

I dodged as I tried to think of something.

 _All of the moves I know are physical, but if I can't hit him, maybe…maybe if I hit him with the new move I learned_ … an Ice Ball pummeled into me driving my thoughts out. A powerful stinging sensation overtook my body. I felt like I could barely move. I tried to power through it.

I focused back on the Sealeo and started to run circles around him. _A good thing I am running a mile every morning, or I could never do this._

I tried to focus all my energy into the star thing that I did. My body lit up in a flurry of shiny stars. I focused and scrunched my face in an effort to force the sparkles out of my body.

An Aurora Beam hit me right on my face. I was thrown across the field and bounced twice before landing with a thud. It hurt like nothing I had ever felt before. Searing pain filled every part of my body. I tried to get up but I was beaten back to my knees by the agony.

I looked up. The Sealeo was preparing for an attack. I felt like I could barely move. I looked over to the side lines. Glaceon was watching and…Gothia?! They are both watching me. _I have to keep going. I can't fail in front of them or I might not be able to be a Glaceon. It doesn't matter what happens to me_.

I bit back a cry of pain as I pushed to my paws. I started running around him again, slowly at first but picking up speed as the adrenaline dulled the pain. This time, the stars started coming out with ease.

I pushed harder and they became giant yellow stars that I hurled at Sealeo. Sealeo let out a cry and started pelting me with Ice Balls.

I tried my best to dodge them without letting up my swift onslaught of stars.

With a loud crash, Sealeo fell defeated. I stood, unable to move as Gothia cheered and came up to celebrate my victory.

I tried to smile. I tried to move. My body did not respond. _Move, smile, say it was easy, do SOMETHING._ I screamed in my mind. This feeling of helplessness was something I had never felt before. It terrified me. The sounds around me faded from my mind, then my vision gave way and turned to black.

* * *

 _My head hurts._ This thought broke me from my sleep. I opened my eyes. I was in my room in the castle. The ice walls were unmistakable and so was the bed I was laying in. No one was in the room.

I tried to move. My body felt stiff as I got to my paws with a thump. A dull throb came from my sides. I walked towards the door.

"Have you learned anything?" A voice spoke from beyond the door.

I froze.

"No," The timid voice of Gothia responded, "She may have been asleep for three days but she hasn't had any dreams."

 _Three days? I was asleep for three days?! It felt like it had only been a few minutes._

"Make sure you find something. Keep her asleep if you have to. We need to give Nobunaga all the information we can get. Report to me at noon in the mess hall."

My heart froze. _Keep me asleep! But, but I don't know anything!_

"I…I" I could hear her falter at the order, "I don't think I can." She whispered.

I heard a loud thud and I instinctively reached for the door.

I stopped myself, _I can't do anything. I can't stop this_. I drooped.

"Make sure it is done." I heard footsteps walking off. I felt useless.

I felt like I had been beaten. The door knob turned. _I…I can't see her now_. I ran to the window and leaped out.

The frozen air of morning engulfed me as I seemed to continue to fall long after I should have hit the ground. I looked down. _Since when was my room next to a sheer cliff?!_ I became horrified as the ground started to approach. I made an effort to launch myself onto the ice wall of the cliff. When I managed to stop, and stop hyperventilating, I made my way down the castle of ice. _Never jump out of a window without looking snow._

It was particularly tricky to maneuver down the slippery ice walls but that may have been related to my inability to rock climb.

Once I had made my way down the cliff side, I started my morning run ignoring the minor aches and pains I had.

My thoughts ran wild. _She beat her! Asleep forever! I am useless! I could have done something! I could have been beaten! Glaceon told me not to do anything to stop them! I might have never woken up! I can't do anything. I can save Gothia._ I tripped and fell on my head. My body surged with unbearable pain. I rested on the ice, unable to get up. My mind froze. Soon after my thoughts focused into a dagger. I got up and started running, my mind around that one thought.

* * *

I rushed over to Glaceon's room to tell her about my plan. My mind was racing around the thoughts. All the intricate details, what could go wrong, what will go wrong. I arrived in the hallway right outside.

"How have things been going?" I heard voices behind the door.

"Well, but…" Glaceon tried to say

"But, she still isn't experiencing the same traits as you," the Mistress spoke in an unmistakable voice. "She might be fit to be a Glaceon but that doesn't mean she is fit to be a leader." I froze at the door.

All previous thoughts of a plan washed away. _Me? A leader?_

"It is still too early to tell."

"You heard Espy, Terrera is under siege. Without the both of us, we may not have time to wait and find out."

 _Terrera? Under siege! No, no I can't think about this now. I need to work fast if my plan is to succeed._ I reached for the door.

"We can wait until winter is over. If by then she doesn't..."

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

The room fell silent. The hall fell silent. I nervously waited for a response. It felt like hours of waiting and collecting my thoughts. Then the door opened and a Gothorita stood at the door.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"I, I…" I stuttered,

 _Am I really doing this? How am I doing this? Will she be disappointed in me for asking when she said not to but in? No since I am coming to her, she will tell me to go ahead or not._ New resolve filled me _._

"I am here to see Glaceon," Gothorita looked behind the door, then opened it the rest of the way, inviting me in. Glaceon's room was the exact same as mine only everything had been shifted to be on the left rather than the right. Glaceon sat on the bed with the Mistress.

"Your awake? That's good," Glaceon seemed to be grasping at words. As if unsure I heard anything or not. "After so long, I thought…"

"I need your help," I interrupted, my new-found determination being the only thing pushing me forward. "Gothitelle is bullying the Gothoritas and other maids," bully was the only way I could describe it. "If they don't do what she says, then she beats them," my drive began to fade. _Better spit it out now._ "I have a plan to show Gracia what Gothitelles been doing." My resolve burned out and I began to sink into myself even before they said anything. Glaceon just smiled up at the Mistress.

"A plan huh," Glaceon said. The Mistress just rolled her eyes, "hey, Gothorita."

The Gothorita who had let me in the door walked into full view. She didn't make eye contact with me. I then realized the gravity of what I had just done saying that right in front of one of them. I shrank back even more. "Is it true what Shine here says?" Gothorita didn't say anything, "you don't have to worry. No one is going to hear us in here and she wouldn't dare be playing in our minds right now."

Gothorita seemed to shiver.

"Yes," she whispered, "yes, she does."

Glaceon turned to me, "and what do the Gothorita mean to you? Why ask me to help them and not do it yourself?" I tried to understand what she meant.

"I…she...one of the them…" I stuttered, "is my friend."

"Well then, that settles it." Glaceon spoke in an absolute tone.

"But what are you going to do?" The Gothorita protested, "even if you have a plan, you're guests. You can't do anything to change the castle and how it works."

I felt like I was falling apart. _She was right. There is nothing we can do about it and I was a fool for trying._

"But we can do something," I perked up, "this isn't a matter of a Warlord coming into another castle and telling them what they are doing wrong. This is a matter between friends," Glaceon and the Mistress both turned towards me, "so, what is your plan?"

* * *

I hid away in a corner of the mess hall trying to keep out of sight from all the other Gothoritas, Gothitas, Snowrunts and Spheals. I found a patch of snow that seemed to be a place for the Snowrunts and Spheals to play in. The patch was vacant, near a window in view of a balcony. Glaceon was the one that suggested that I stayed in that patch of snow, since my fur was white.

 _Why did she have to put me here? I don't like that I'm white and I would rather pretend that I am brown._ Gothitelle, stood near me watching the whole room. I was lucky to have snuck in before she got here. Gothia walked into the room. She tried to avoid the sight of Gothitelle but there was no avoiding her piercing gaze. Gothitelle rushed over to Gothia. While Gothitelle was distracted, I ran over to the window and signaled to Glaceon.

I heard Gothitelles voice, "what have you learned." Before Gothia could speak, the double doors to the hall swung wide and Gracia, Musharna, Mitsuhide and the Mistress walked into the hall. They were greeted with adoration by the other Pokémon.

Gothitelle froze for an instant then moved over to the four new arrivals. "Hello, Masters and Mistresses. How can I help you today?" The way her voice went from intimidating to nice was almost sickening.

"My friend here wanted to see the mess hall and our other Pokémon, so we are going to be here for a while," Mitsuhide addressed Gothitelle. I made sure to watch that pink and purple ball with pink mist coming out its…nose? I think it's his nose. My plan revolved around that Pokémon.

"Alright," Gothitelle said, still in a kind voice, "welcome to the mess hall. I'm sorry but you will have to excuse me for a second. I have some business to take care of." Gothitelle turned away from the four. Musharna spit a piece of pink mist that attached itself to the back of Gothitelle.

 _Yes_! I mentally cheered.

Gothitelle grabbed Gothia and took her out of the room. I heard the door close from two different places. Curious, I looked out the window. Gothitelle stood on the balcony with Gothia.

"I will say again. What have you learned?" Gothitelle's intimidating voice came to the forefront.

"Well, you see," Gothia hesitated, "she is awake."

"Awake! AWAKE! Didn't I tell you to keep her asleep!"

"Yes but," Gothitelle slapped her and she fell to the ground.

"Now what am I going to send to Nobunaga. A single message saying that they're here and nothing else. That would be a disgrace to master Nobunaga," she was half talking to herself at this point, "If I can get a Munna or something, I could get more info. before I send my letter. Right. I have to get back to entertaining our guests," she walked back into the dining hall.

I moved back from the window. Gothitelle stood in bafflement as a large pink cloud enveloped the ceiling. The event that had played on the balcony was now being shown on repeat in the pink mist. "What is going on?" she asked.

"Gothitelle," Mitsuhide glared at her, "You have disgraced and betrayed me in front of my friends. You are no longer welcome here in Nixitrom."

"Leave now!" Gracia shouted in a childish tone, "I don't want a mean Pokémon like you as my partner!" She stuck her tongue out at her.

Gothitelle only stood in bafflement. It soon turned to rage, "Disgraced! Betrayed! You are all the ones who betrayed Nobunaga by letting the enemy into your kingdom! You are the ones who are…"

"I will NOT have you insult me any further in my own home, traitor!" Mitsuhide yelled, "Use Psychic!"

The room came to life as all the Psychic Pokémon in the room directed their attacks at Gothitelle. Then Gothitelle was gone in a flicker.

 _Teleport, I think?_

"She teleported away," Mitsuhide confirmed, "Don't worry, she is just a Pokémon now. Nobunaga only trusts the words of warriors, thanks to your spies," he glanced at the Mistress. She smiled back.

I smiled. _It worked, It WORKED!_ I bounced up and down as starry shimmers radiated around me. Then I looked over at Gothia standing on the balcony completely at a loss. I rushed to her side.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked, not sure what to say.

"What…what happened?" She asked.

"Shiny Snow happened," I whirled around to see Glaceon and everyone at the doorway, "she came up with this plan to reveal and humiliate Gothitelle in front of her Masters without being disgraceful to them or us."

"It was quite an ingenious plan," Mitsuhide said, "though we would have gotten rid of her whether it worked or not."

 _Wait, what?_

Apparently seeing my confusion, he elaborated. "Glaceon told me. I wanted to get rid of her in a less showy fashion but Glaceon insisted that we try your idea first."

I smiled.

"Now then," Gracia looked around, "I need a new partner Pokémon." She looked at Gothia and knelt to her height, "Will you be my partner, Gothia?"

"Yes!" Gothia leaped up and hugged Gracia. They embraced each other. Glaceon placed a paw on my shoulder.

"Good job." My stars shimmered once again as I smiled up at her.

13


	4. Chapter 4 A Colder Wind

As the weeks went by, winter raged over the kingdom. The constant blizzards made it hard to perform my daily runs but Glaceon says that I need to be exposed to the cold weather in order to evolve. Sometimes, it just gets too cold for me but I feel like I am adapting. I have noticed that over time, I am managing to stay out longer and longer.

"Alright, prepared for today's training?" Glaceon asked me.

"Ready and prepared," I stated eagerly.

"Good," Glaceon moved towards the window and I promptly followed, "you see that mountain in the distance?" Glaceon pointed to a mountain of ice and snow. I could barely see it in the break of the snowstorm.

"Yeah I see it."

"Go to the peak and back."

"WHAT?!" My heart raced, "In…in these conditions? I am not sure I can," I retorted timidly.

"It isn't whether you can, or can't. None of your training was about that. It is about how well you do it and how you improve in the future. Just try," Glaceon tried to reassure me.

I smiled weakly. "Okay, I'll go."

I walked out of Glaceon's room into the hallway. I gazed at my reflection in one of the ice pillars. My snow-white form stared back at me. I hope I evolve soon. I don't want to be stuck like this any longer.

* * *

Cold. Bitter Cold. Freezing!

As I made my way up the mountain, the snowstorm intensified to the point where I could only walk. I struggled my way up the incline as my body could feel the snow beneath me.

I lifted myself over a ledge and rolled out on a flat resting point.

I shivered as I lay in the snow.

Suddenly, I was levitated up.

 _What is going on?_

I tried to look around but before I saw anyone, I was thrust against the side of the cliff. My numb body felt none of the impact.

I got up and fell into a fighting stance, despite the weather. Gothitelle emerged from the raging white storm.

"You have ruined me! I saw your plan after I left. Now I will get rid of you, like the little pests all of you are."

She threw me against the wall with another Psychic. I was pinned for a moment.

No sooner had I broken free than she fired a powerful Psybeam against the side of the mountain, throwing snow everywhere.

I ran around the perimeter of the ledge trying to avoid her attacks.

 _Do as Glaceon said, use your speed to your advantage._ The snow was slowing me down. More than once she hit me with an attack that I couldn't dodge.

I was down, but I noticed an odd hole in the wall where her Psybeam struck the mountain side. I darted as fast as I could for the entrance.

 _Whatever is in there, I don't care. Anything is better than being here right now._

I dodged another one of her attacks and dove inside the odd cave.

Instantly, I knew something was off. The cave wasn't natural. A square hallway stretched deeper into the mountain. Gothitelle stood in the doorway, blocking the exit.

I had no other option but to go deeper.

At the end of the hallway, was a single room. The room was encased in ice.

 _Oh no. Not a dead end!_ It was cold. Colder than anything I had ever felt. So cold, I felt like my legs were going to fall off. On top of that, my body felt strange in here, like it was trying to turn itself inside out!

Gothitelle came up behind me and threw me around the room like a ragdoll with her Psychic. She then picked me up and held me by my neck against the wall.

"You have ruined my life, you have ruined Nobunaga. Now I will ruin you."

 _I am stuck. I can't do anything. Is…is this how it is going to end._ The air around me shimmered to life with stars.

The room was filled with noise. *Ping* *Ping* *Ping* *Ping* *Ping* *Ping* *Ping* Against the wall next to me, I saw a different light shine for every ping I heard.

A cry rang out, "REGEICE" The wall I was pinned to, began to move.

We were both thrown to the side as a creature pulled itself from the wall. It used an ice beam and froze the entrance over in a thick layer of ice.

We were trapped!

Gothitelle forgot about me and sent a powerful Psybeam at the creature. The shot seemed to do no damage to it.

She tried her best to attack the creature, throwing every one of her psychic moves at it. But the creature didn't flinch at any of them.

An electrical field enveloped the two of them as the creature used Zap Cannon.

She could have easily dodged the attack but, because the space was so confined, she was hit.

She fell to the ground, paralyzed. The creature fired a powerful Ice Beam. Gothitelle was unable to move. She was struck down and she didn't get up.

The creature turned towards me. At the creature's feet, I saw a pool of strange liquid was forming.

 _What the…can't think about that now._

It started charging a beam.

I panicked as I tried to get out of the way.

I made stars flutter around me and hurled them at the creature.

It threw rocks at me with Ancient Power, un-phased by my attack.

I dodged and tried to think up a plan as it launched several Ice Beams at me.

 _I heard Glaceon say something about the difference between special attacks and physical attacks. If a special attack doesn't work, then they are probably resistant to special and weak to physical_.

I turned on him and went on the offensive.

I lunged at it with a Quick Attack and immediately regretted it.

My entire body felt like it was frozen solid and I was burned where I made contact. On the other hand, the tackle slammed it into the wall.

 _Hooray, for small victories._ I cheered in my mind as my body couldn't stop shivering from the contact.

The creature got up and was ready for another attack.

 _Well, I guess I can't have it that easy. I can't hit him again or I will be defeated by its touch alone. What do I do?_ I tried to gasp for air but I could barely find enough.

My eyes widened in fear. _AM I SUFFOCATING?! I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!_ I looked around, more frantic than before.

I saw that the liquid that was at the creature's feet before I attacked, was boiling and bubbling away.

I leaped out and touched it. My paw burned at the cold contact.

I looked back at the creature preparing another attack. There was an even larger pool of this strange liquid underneath him. I tried the only option I could think of.

I rushed him and scooped up as much of the strange liquid as I could.

It didn't hurt as much as it had before.

I then thrust it towards the ice plug blocking the exit. The liquid boiled and bubbled, then the ice cracked.

I launched myself into the ice with a mighty tackle.

The ice broke and I ran out of that death trap. I ran. I ran though the blizzard not minding the cold. I ran and I didn't stop till I reached the castle.

* * *

I panted as I staggered back into the castle's foyer, heart still racing.

Gothia came to greet me, "hello, Glaceon. Aren't you supposed to be in your room?"

 _Glaceon_? I looked around the room. No one else was present.

"Are you talking to me?" I asked.

"Why yes Glaceon. We are the only ones here."

 _Glaceon?_ My mind made the connection, _GLACEON!_ Stars shined around me as I bounced up and down in glee.

"I AM A GLACEON!" I shouted into the room.

"Uh, what?" Gothia asked, quite confused.

"Gothia, it's me, Shiny Snow. I EVOLVED!"

"WHAT?!" she was stunned.

I continued prancing around in glee until my injuries caught up with me and I was overcome. I collapsed in a heap. "Ow, hurts…" I didn't mind that much though, _I am a Glaceon!_ My mind couldn't stop thinking of the idea, even with the pain. Gothia helped me up.

"Well, well, well," Glaceon turned the corner into the foyer, "looks like you evolved. You were only screaming it to half the kingdom."

I looked sheepishly towards her, blushing a little, "sorry."

She smiled back at me, "this is something you should shout. You only evolve once." She walked up towards us and created a tall ice shard refined to the point where I could see my reflection. "Take a look."

I eagerly pushed my way in front of the mirror. The image that shone back at me was not Glaceon. Glaceon had a deep blue to her coat that was unmistakable. This Glaceon…or me, my coat was pure white.

"I…I am so white," was all I could spit out.

Glaceon smiled, "yes. I am like an iceberg, hard and tough. You are like fresh snow, kind, gentle and serene. We are not the same Glaceon. I am Eev, your Shiny Snow."

Her words reassured me but a single thought still lingered,

 _I hate white._

* * *

The warm winter air eventually gave way to the hot spring days. I never really noticed how the sun was so hot until now. Glaceon, uh, I mean Eev, has had me in the classroom day in and day out. War strategy, squad tactics, stealth, army management, spies and Pokémon biology were a few things that Eev taught me. I had to memorize the entire type chart and the types of most Pokemon! We stood near a pond that had thawed in the sunlight.

"There are several things you need to be afraid of when you are a Glaceon," I listened intently, "the main one, is your own core body temperature. Our core body heat is around negative one hundred and fifty degrees Celsius. This means that anything but the coldest conditions are a hazard and could leave us with heat stroke. In order to combat this, we have to regulate our body temperature to fit the environment we are in."

 _Regulate our body temperature?_

"You have been doing it already without realizing it."

 _Wait, what?!_

"After all, we are only in negative five degrees Celsius right now."

 _Negative five? But, it feels so hot._

"You can control your body temperature by imagining that you are moving all the cold in your body to your center. Be careful as to not do too much, or you will get too hot. Why don't you give it a try?"

I nodded. I did as Eev told me, I tried to imagine all the cold in my body and forced it towards my center. I could feel the difference, it was like night and day. The frozen tundra beneath my paws felt cold again. The still air began to chill me rather than burn me. I loved that feeling of cold.

"Now, we get to the practical applications of this power."

 _The what?_

Eev directed me to the water's surface, "in areas of high moisture, you can take the cold in your center and move it back. Doing so will get a rather powerful offensive counter measure." The fur on Eev began to stand on end, then it froze over. Eev jumped and launched the ice shards at terrifying speeds. "That is one way to use it," Eev continued, "another is to use it to cross water."

Eev stepped onto the pond. Ice seemed to materialize at Eev's paws, making her stay afloat. Eev stood in the middle of the pond with little patches of ice beneath Eev's paws, waving at me to follow.

I gingerly crept my way to the water's surface.

"Make sure that you fill your paws with the cold air!" Eev shouted at me.

I gulped, _It will be fine, just…just do it like Eev._ I put my paw into the water. The surface froze around it. I took a few more steps into the water's surface then I fell in.

The water that surrounded me crystallized and I found myself trapped in an iceberg! The icy cage floated to the surface and I saw Eev laughing. I tried to get out, but my body was stuck to the frozen mass. Eev came up to me and sliced it in two. I popped out unharmed.

"You have to direct the cold to your paws, not your entire body or that will happen," my cheeks glowed a deep blue and I tried to hide my embarrassment, "come on, try again." This time, I stepped onto the pond's surface directing all the cold to my paws. Ice formed at my paws like pads, supporting my weight.

I started walking but I would slip and slide all over the place. _What the heck!_ I shouted in my head as I tried to concentrate, _My legs keep sprawling out everywhere._

"They aren't touching anything," Eev shouted at me from the ponds center, "they are just floating pieces of ice, so you have to be very careful when walking on them."

I slowly made my way to the center, my legs windmilling about. When I reached the center, Eev froze the entire lake. _Uh, thank you._ I thought in relief. I was able to walk normally on the ice.

I sat in front of Eev as she was doing…something…in front of me.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Something special." With those words, I watched closely to see what she was making. "It is spring, isn't it? Then let's let the ice bloom." The ice in front of me started to shimmer as it started to stretch and swirl. A tendril slowly ascended. Then five beautiful petals of ice formed at the top of the stalk. "This is an Ice Flower," Eev snapped the stem and held it in the triangle appendage, "it is delicate, thin and will break or melt if not kept safe and cold." Eev walked up to me. I instinctively stepped back. Eev's appendage reached over my head and put the Ice Flower behind my ear. "So, keep it safe."

* * *

Spring rolled into summer. The heat was a little more bearable after I started to work on controlling my body temperature.

 _I miss the cold winter,_ I thought as I moved down the corridor of the castle. _Now everything just feels hot, even the ice._ _I hate to say it, but I actually miss running in the blizzards._ I sighed. _Well, I wonder what Eev has in store for me today._ I came up to the door. I could hear voices from the other side. _Wow these rooms really aren't soundproof, are they?_

"We don't have time anymore," I heard the Mistress speak with worry etched in her voice, "we need to try. So what if she fails. If she fails, then we stay. But we need to test her."

 _Are they talking about me?_

"She could get hurt and I think that it is still too early." Eev retorted.

"Nobunaga is gearing up for an attack on Pugilis and if that kingdom falls, then Nobunaga will be able to run rampant behind our lines. Or the fortress Illusio will fall. Neither are outcomes I am willing to accept. We are testing now and if she fails, I am heading back to Aurora to prepare our defenses. If she passes, then we will go together and I can prepare for a counter attack." The door opened. I fell back on my haunches in surprise. The Mistress walked out of the door and stopped when she saw me. "Were you eavesdropping?" She asked in a singsong voice.

"Well, I…I didn't mean to," I said quick to defend.

"Good," Eev shouted from behind the Mistress, "then we don't have to tell you." Eev walked out of the room, "get ready, your final exam is today."

"F…Final exam!" I stuttered, _I'm not ready. I haven't even been here a full year._ I remembered what the Mistress said. _I…I don't have much of a choice. If our kingdom is to survive then I must be ready._ I tried to stand straight, waiting for their order. "What do y…you need me to do." I stammered.

The Mistress pointed towards a peak that stood taller than the rest of the mountains. "Head to the top of that mountain. You have been running up and down mountains for most of your time here so it should be a breeze."

"Near the summit, you will find a cave," Eev directed, "you objective, is to capture that cave. That is all."

I nodded, "that mountain, got it." I adjusted my little Ice Flower on my ear and ran for the mountain.

* * *

 _The air feels cold up here._ I reveled in the cold snow for a moment before continuing. _I wonder what it will be. They said I would have to take a cave. I hope it isn't that cave with the weird thing in it. It felt so long ago but it still haunts me a bit._ I shivered when I thought of the moment. _I hope it's not that._ The thought, the fear, would not leave my mind.

I was near the summit when I found a small cave opening. I gingerly walked towards it. I peered inside, too scared to take the first steps into the cave.

 _Alright, you can do this. This isn't for you, it is for your kingdom_. I forced my body inside. The tension started to ease when I noticed it wasn't the same cave. This cave looked like it formed naturally, unlike the other which had a perfect square hallway. I moved down the stone path with a little more confidence. _WAIT!_ I shouted in my mind, _I need to keep my eyes peeled. The trial has started._

I whipped my head around. Nothing but stone. I perked up my ears. _I…I hear something breathing? No sleeping._

I moved deeper into the cave until I came to an opening. I stepped into an expansive room, ice crystals hung from the ceiling and jutted up from the floor. The room was like a huge dome with enough room for something big to fly around. A rather large hole in the ceiling lead outside. I looked at the other end of the room and saw a huge blue bird sleeping. I just stared at the humongous ice bird.

 _I have to defeat THAT!_ I sighed _. Trade one for another I guess._

I stepped forward. The creature opened its eyes and glared me down. I hesitated, but moved forward. The bird got up and flapped its massive wings. The room was filled with a powerful blizzard.

I ducked behind an ice stalagmite but the bone chilling winds still hit me. I let my body temperature relax and the freezing winds became soothingly warm.

I stuck my head out. The creature was approaching me, beating his wings and focusing his blizzard on me. _Alright, got to go,_ I thought in a panic. I looked at the ground and dug straight through the ice and stone.

I thought of a plan while I dug. _I can't hit him with a dig. If it is a bird, then ground moves won't do a thing. It seems to be fond of special moves. I can use one of my moves to help counter that. I will have to use my speed to get around it and chip it down._

I surfaced behind a different stalagmite. The bird was still making his way towards my old position, unaware I was no longer there. _Guess it doesn't know I left. Now is my chance._ I focused my power and created a mirror that coated my body. _Barrier, just learned it too._ A loud crash filled the room. I peeked out and saw that the creature had crushed the stalagmite that I had been hiding behind. I shivered at the thought of what would have happened if I had stayed.

It started to scan the room. _Times up._ I rushed at it with a furious quick attack. The creature was so caught off guard, that it staggered. _There is my shot._

I turned to face the creature and launched a powerful Hyper Beam of energy. The creature toppled over but quickly got up.

I tried to move but my body was too tired. The bird fired an ice beam that couldn't miss. I was thrown against the wall but most of the impact was absorbed by Barrier.

I got up. The bird charged me. I tried digging again to get away. I moved to the other side of the room. Eev's words echoed in my mind, _Just because it worked once doesn't mean it will work again._

I surfaced. The creature was standing in the middle of the room, waiting for me. It flapped its wings, creating a powerful blizzard. Nowhere to hide, nowhere to run.

I countered with my own Icy Wind in desperation. I put all my might into that one burst. For a moment, the two seemed to cancel out. Slowly, my power was draining and my Icy Wind began to lose ground.

 _What do I do? How would I win? I…I could use my trump card but I am not that tired yet. I could…_ realization struck me. _I can make myself tired._

I put one last burst into my Icy Wind then quick attacked to the creature's talons. I used my Icy Wind to freeze its talons to the ground. _Temporary hold, but all I need is a little time._

I propelled myself behind the bird. It tried to turn to face me but its frozen talons held it in place.

I shot my Hyper Beam at the creature. It staggered at the hit but it started to break the ice on its talons. I was immobilized for what seemed like hours. My mind raced for every second of it. _I'll have to work quick. My body won't be fatigued for long after I get movement back. What if it breaks free? It could he hit me. Will this work?_ I felt movement slowly return but it was like watching paint dry. _Come on, I don't have much time._ One of my ice shackles on the bird broke and it turned to face me. _I can't wait any longer!_

I stored all my fatigue, all my power, everything I had into one last ditch move. My body turned a deep crimson. Then it all shattered off me and thrust itself at the bird. Trump Card, that was one of the last moves Eev taught me. The bird reared back and screamed in agony, "AAAAAGGHHHHH!" The second shackle broke as the bird flew up into the air. It then escaped through the hole in the ceiling. The room fell silent.

I tried to catch my breath. _Is it over? I…I failed. I didn't defeat it._ I slumped as tears started to well in my eyes. Clapping filled the room.

"Congratulations, you did it!" I turned around half expecting the bullies from school to lunge at me. Eev stood at the entrance, "you completed your mission," Eev walked up to me.

"No I didn't," I tried to retort, "I didn't defeat the creature. I failed." I sniffed.

"No, you succeeded," I looked up at Eev, not sure if I should believe her, "did you forget? I told you your mission was to take the cave, not defeat any Pokémon." I started to smile, "you don't have to do anything I don't tell you to do, just so long as you complete the objective."

"So, I, did it? I passed?" I eagerly waited for the confirmation Eev had already given me.

"Yes, you passed!"

"YIPPEE!" I shouted and hopped around in glee. I was overjoyed at the thoughts that ran though my head. _I passed! I get to go home! I get to help the Eevee Special Forces! I GET TO BE A GLACEON!_ Stinging pain reared from my back and I flopped face first on the ground.

Eev chuckled, "You hit a wall during that fight with such force that you might have broken bones. I am a little surprised you can jump like that."

I got up, trying to ignore the roiling pain. "Wait, how did you know?" Eev pointed to one of the larger stalagmites. I focused in. There, a Glaceon sized hole was imprinted in the ice. _You…you froze yourself in the ice?!_

"You still have much to learn," I turned my gaze back to Eev, "you may have learned many things about combat, but you are still very young. Your training with me has ended but know this," I listened more intently, "you will never stop training. You will never stop learning. Always stay vigilant, because no one knows everything," I tried my best to engrave Eev's words into my memory. "Now let's head back. The Mistress is waiting for our report." Eev turned and headed for the entrance.

One last thought lingered, "hey Eev," Eev turned to face me. "What was that Pokémon?"

Eev smiled, "that was one of my old friends, Articuno."

13


	5. Chapter 5 A Shaky Start

Updated 4/8/2017 for a superior reading experience

* * *

"Best vacation ever!" The Mistress screamed.

We were on a blimp headed back to Aurora. Saying goodbye to everyone was hard, especially to Gothia. She said that no goodbyes were needed as long as I promised to meet her on the battlefield. I can't wait to fight her now.

I looked out the window. _It feels like such a long time since I had been back home. I can't wait to…do…_ I tried to think, _To do what? I am not sure what I am supposed to do._

I looked over at Eev to ask but Eev was…sulking? "What's wrong Eev?"

Eev didn't even look up at me, "Five days," I looked quizzically at Eev, "five days of nothing but meetings and paperwork nonstop." Eev, forehead against the chair, "I won't be able to do anything but that for five days."

"Don't remind me," the Mistress said with a shudder, "transaction requests, troop movements, training program overviews, inspections…"

They seemed to both tremble as they said in unison, "Five days."

"What happens after that?" I asked.

"We begin the counter attack," the Mistress spoke with excitement in her voice, "oh and by the way, you will have the rest of the day off. Go and do whatever you want but be sure to be back in the castle before sundown."

I perked up "C…Castle?!"

"Yeah, you are going to live there now."

I couldn't believe it. All my dreams were coming true. My body began to glisten.

"Just remember one thing," Eev said, "you won't be able to get in the castle unless you have this." Eev showed me the back of the icy appendage. There, a golden card with the face of an Eevee on it, was frozen to the skin…or ice…or fur. I never really understood which it was. I will figure that out another time. Focus. "This is an identification card. With all the Dittos and Zoruas spies about, the chances of getting mimicked are extraordinarily high. These identification cards allow you to get into the castle. All you do is place it where no one can see it, then you show the back of the card to a guard and they will let you in." I examined the golden card, admiring its significance, "you will get yours when we land." A sudden lurch shook the ship, "speaking of, we have landed."

We moved towards the door before Eev turned to me, "oh and try to be discreet if you move around the town. Not just to avoid spies but you will get mauled by admirers that think your me." Eev stepped out the door.

I promptly followed.

Outside, the Master and the other six Members of the ESF waited for us to depart.

When we reached the bottom of the stairs, the Mistress hugged the Master. "It's so good to see you again!" she cried.

Eev addressed the group with a smile, "I'm back." Leafeon lunged and wrapped Eev in an embrace.

"It's so good to have you back."

"Good to be back," Eev said in response.

"So, how did it go?" Jolteon asked, eager to get to the next section, "did she evolve? Did she pass? Is she everything you ever hoped she'd be? Are you…"

Espeon forcibly closed Jolteon's mouth with telekinesis. "One question at a time Jolt," Espeon said, "so, did she evolve?" Eev stepped to the side revealing me to the others.

I stood nervously as the six of them stared at me and sparkles shimmered around me.

"Wow, she almost looks like you Eev, if you ignore the shiny thing," Vaporeon stated.

The rest nodded in agreement.

"Do you have what I asked for?" Eev asked them.

"Yeah," Flareon said, "Umbre has it. Seriously where does she keep all that stuff?"

Eev chuckled, "We may never know."

Umbreon walked up and handed Eev a silver card.

Eev turned to face me, "Here is your ID card." I grabbed the silver card with my appendage. It was hard to get the hang of using those things. I placed the ID card on the back of my appendage, just as Eev had shown me. "Alright, we're ready," Eev said to the Masters.

They started to walk towards the castle. I followed behind them.

"So, everything went well at the training?" Espeon asked.

"Yes, for the most part everything went smoothly. However, she is rather reckless and cavalier about her own wellbeing."

"Coming from the one who literally threw themselves into my fire and proceeded to say it was fine." Flareon quipped.

"That was different," Eev tried to defend.

"Or the time you got your ribs broken by a Karate Chop then proceeded to take on four other Pokémon before even noticing," Espeon smiled.

"Uh, that was…heat of the moment…"

"Or the time you made us all jump into the entire legion of enemy units just because you couldn't wait for reinforcements. I still have the scares." Flareon rubbed her sides.

"Alright, alright, I get it. I am reckless too." The group laughed.

I watched from behind as they continued to reminisce about past adventures. My smile slowly fading. _They seem so far away. So many shared experiences. How can I reach them? How can I be a part of this? I…am not one of them._ _It feels just like I'm back at school_.

We reached the castle. "Well, this is where we part," Eev addressed them, "I have a lot of work to do. Keep up your training and call me if you need anything." Eev walked into the castle of Aurora.

 _Wait a minute. The Aurora castle?!_ I looked up at the looming structure. I was so lost in thought that I never saw the castle coming. I marveled at its size. It was far from the size of the Nixitrom castle but it was larger than all the other homes in my village. The castle itself was plain, with no real notable detail anywhere. Standard for a normal type castle.

I then looked around. The other members had left. I circled for a moment unsure what to do. I remembered Eev saying I had the day off. After a moment of indecision, I decided to go into the castle.

A Meowth stopped me at the entrance, "ID please."

I held out the back of my appendage, showing the silver card.

"Other side," he said.

 _Other side? Okay…_ I melted the ice around the card and showed the backside to Meowth. The back was covered in groves and indents that I couldn't identify.

Meowth ran his paw over the marks, "Alright your good." He handed me back my pass and opened the door.

I stepped in and the door was closed behind me.

The room was a spacious square with a throne in the middle that stood upon a pedestal. I saw two Espeons talking near the throne. One of them looked at me. I recognized her as Espy. She smiled and waved at me.

I tentatively waved back.

The other Espeon didn't look at me. They continued their conversation.

Not wanting to intrude, I decided to look for my room. I wandered my way around the unfamiliar castle trying to get my bearings. A Minccino walked past me.

"Hey," I asked. The Minccino quickly spun around and bowed before me.

"Is there something you need, my lord?"

I was stunned at the sudden action but slowly regained my composure, "I need a little help finding my room. Do you think you could help?"

"Why most certainly, my lord." Minccino guided me to a hall of doors, "this is the living area for all of the Pokémon here in the castle." Minccino directed me towards a door, "this is your room."

I opened the door. I saw a desk in the middle of the room with…Glaceon! Eev sat at a desk and looked up at me upon my intrusion.

"Was there something you needed Shine?" Eev asked.

"Well, I uh," I stammered, "I was just looking for my room."

Eev smiled and walked out of the room. We passed several doors that made me wonder how many Pokémon lived here.

"This is your room," Eev said opening a door further down, "have a look."

I peered inside. The room was plain, much like the halls. The surfaces were flat and tan in color. A few windows on the far side looked over the kingdom. A bed sat in one corner with a nightstand beside it.

I walked over. The bed itself had white sheets…wait. No. I put my paw on the bed. _It's…It's SNOW!_

Eev came up next to me, "this is a bed specially made for Glaceons. Snow sheets on top of a block of Never-Melt Ice." Eev dug around in the snow to reveal a hard block of ice.

"But why," I said, "why do I need all this. It's not like I don't want a regular bed."

"Remember when I said that your body's natural temperature is negative one hundred and fifty degrees?"

I nodded.

"Well, usually when we sleep, our bodies relax so we no longer regulate our body temperatures. Any normal sheets would freeze and shatter. Not to mention, if something isn't at equal temperature to our body heat, we can't relax in it."

I looked over the bed.

"If you need me I will be in my room." Eev headed for the door, "and don't tell any of this to the others." I turned around to see Eev talking to the Minccino.

The two left and shut the door behind me. I looked back at the bed.

"I don't want a special bed." I stood in my room looking over the bed. Eventually, the chill of the Never-Melt Ice pulled me into the snow's soft, warm embrace and I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The morning air felt still. I tried to get my body temperature as hot as I could so I could feel the cold. This was as far as I could manage. I didn't feel cold or hot. I just felt nothing. I ran across the perimeter of the populated area like I used to in Nixitrom. Habit I guess.

My mind was wondering what to do for the rest of the day, _Eev wants me back by mid-day for a ceremony but what I am I going to do for the rest of the morning?_

A yellow spiked head popped into my vision, "Hello, Ransei to weird Glaceon."

I jumped back and staggered, "W... what?" A Jolteon stood before me. _What was she doing?_

"What do you mean, "What"?" She asked, "you were the one who was spacing out."

I blushed, "Well, I do get a little lost in thought…"

"Anyways, what are you doing out here for the tenth time."

"Oh, I'm doing my daily run around the kingdom."

"Oh, can I join?!" She smiled as she hopped up and down, "I'm on a run around the kingdom myself so why not go together?"

"Sure," I smiled back.

We started running

"I'm Bolt Thunder, by the way."

"Shiny Snow."

"Quite fitting," Bolt remarked, "so, how did you get picked out of the mass? Jolt saw me from the start because Jolt is the best Jolteon of all. In the camp, he was all like, hey this little Jolteon here was pretty good, let's see if she can handle more. Jolt said that I was pretty good!"

"Wait, hold on," I tried to wrap my head around everything Bolt said, "first, who is Jolt?"

"Oh, Jolt. He is **the** Jolteon. You know, the one in the ESF. So, I was there in training and Jolt said that I was the one. Eev wanted him to keep looking but he wouldn't have it. He picked me! ME!" She bounced with a high pitch wine. "Anyways, how did you meet Eev?"

I smiled, "Well, long story…"

* * *

Mid-day rolled around. I was directed to a hall next to the throne room with a few other Pokémon working feverishly. I tried to stay out of their way. Eev sat near the door.

I weaved my way through the crowd to Eev. "You know what you're supposed to do?" Eev asked.

I searched my memory, "When you say, 'We have a new Glaceon.' I am to go and sit next to you and smile for the rest of the event."

Eev nodded, "Well, I have to get to work." Eev moved into the adjacent room and stood next to the throne where the Master and Mistress sat.

Eev addressed the room full of warriors and Pokémon. Eev's speech seemed to carry on for quite a bit. I made sure to listen intently for my part. "We have a new Glaceon!" Eev shouted into the crowd.

I stepped out of the room as the crowd cheered. I nervously made my way up to Eev and sat down, shaking a little.

"And with a new Glaceon," Eev continued, "She will be the leader of a new Eevee Special Forces!"

 _WHAT?!_

"Come on out. Allow me to introduce you all to the members of the new team!"

Six Pokémon came from opposite rooms and moved into a line in front of me and Eev. A Jolteon, Flareon, Vaporeon, Umbreon, Espeon and a Leafeon. They faced the crowd but I could see them shooting glances at each other and back at me. I became increasingly tense as more than one of them looked back at me with less than friendly glares.

"With this new Glaceon as the leader, we will be able to strike Nobunaga like we have never been able to before. We thank you all for joining us here today. The New Eevee Special Forces will head to the meeting room to discuss important matters."

* * *

The seven of us sat at the round table looking at each other, not speaking a word. I tried not to meet the gaze of the others around the table. The silent suspense felt like a crushing weight that stretched on for hours.

I remembered what Eev told me once, _"If you are a leader, you need to be the one who stands up for the group. You need to be the one who keeps the group together and make sure the group gets along with each other. This is because, in the end, it is your group and your responsibility."_

I looked up. Flareon sat opposite me and stared back at me with a deadly glower. The Espeon that sat next to me, never looked at me once.

I tried to push past them, "S…So," Six sets of eyes turned towards me. I locked up but I tried to force the words out, "H…How about we start with names?" I pointed an appendage at myself, "I'm Shiny Snow." I gestured to the Leafeon on my left, "We can go in a circle."

All eyes turned to Leafeon.

She sat up and, in a much less shaky voice, addressed the group. "I am Plantora Leafedge. Officer in the Leafeon division for nine years." She sat back down.

Bolt almost bounced out of her seat, "I'm Bolt Thunder." She sat back down as quickly as she got up.

A Vaporeon didn't bother to get out of his seat, "I'm Current Seasearcher." He looked over at the Flareon next to him.

Flareon stood up and addressed everyone with disdain in her voice, "I'm Burner Flame." She looked back at me, hatred clearly burning behind her eyes as she sat back down.

Umbreon remained seated and shook his head, refusing to say anything.

I looked towards the Espeon that sat next to me. She sighed and stood up, "I am Eon." She looked towards Flareon with disgust, "Your name is not Burner."

Flareon sat up indignantly, "Yes, it is! That has always been my name." She retorted.

"No, it's not. I have done research on all of you and I know that isn't your name."

Flareon started to shout, "You should be a little more careful when you address the future group leader."

 _Wait, what?_

"Ha," Eon retorted, "You? Please! Your nothing but a stupid brute. If anything, I'm going to become the leader of this task force."

 _Wait, WHAT?!_ Leafeon shot a worried glance that I could read all too well. _I need to stop this. I want to stop this but…but what can I do?_ Glaceon's words echoed through my mind again. _I have to do something, I have to put my paw down. I have to do what Glaceon says and not be a pushover in order to stay leader._

Burner put her forelegs on the table to make herself seem taller. "You three-eyed freak! What makes you…"

"BE QUIET!" I stomped on the table and froze the entire surface. Burner's legs were frozen to the table. "I am the leader here," Burner tried to struggle out of the ice, "And I'm in charge. Got that?"

Eon shot her nose in the air and made a prim "Humph."

Burner tried to melt her way through the ice with her fire. I wouldn't let her. I poured all of my body heat into the ice restraints that held down Burner. I could see her shiver until her fire died. "Is that clear?" I repeated.

"Crystal," Burner muttered, grinding her teeth. I removed all of the ice from the table and sat back down.

"Well…" My composure began to falter again, "we will meet in an hour for a training session. Get to know our fighting skills. D…Dismissed." All the Pokémon left their seat and exited the room. I took a deep breath and deflated onto the table. _I never want to do that again._

"Well, that could have gone better." A voice spoke from beyond the room. I looked over and heard a thud.

"Shh, one is still in there." Another hissed. I stared at the wall where I heard the voices. The door swung open behind me.

I jumped and turned to face it.

Plantora entered in the room and asked, "May I join you?"

I smiled and sat up straight, "Sure." She walked up to the table and sat in her previous spot next to me.

"That wasn't a good introduction," she said failing to meet my gaze. She then looked at me. "But the effectiveness and longevity of the group isn't decided by the first encounter. I know this more than most."

I listened intently.

"Like I said before, I served almost nine years as an officer. I lead multiple different squads in my time, most of which didn't get along very well. I understand how hard it is to work with a group like this one and I just wanted to say that if you ever have any trouble, just ask me." She beamed at me in such a way, I couldn't help but smile.

"Okay, if you're so good at it, why don't you become the leader?" I heard a thump from beyond the room.

She chuckled, "Wow, I didn't expect that coming from someone so young. I don't want to be a leader anymore."

"Why not?" I asked.

"Well, like I said, I was in charge of many different squads that didn't get along. I've had my fill of it and I never want to have to deal with it again. I wasn't skilled enough to go up the chain of command and they wouldn't let me be demoted. When they handed me a job that wouldn't involve leading, I took it. Come to find out it was this position." She looked around the table and sighed, "If you need anything, just ask but I won't interfere directly. Undermine your leadership and all."

I nodded and smiled, "I understand. Thank you for your help."

Plantora smiled and walked out of the room.

I gazed at the right wall. _They're spying on me, on us. Well, I guess Eev now knows what a bad leader I am._

* * *

We gathered around the battlefield at the back of the castle. Although, I would call it more a small section of dirt rather than a battlefield. The rest of the group and I stood on the sidelines, facing the castle. Umbreon and Plantora were engaging each other.

Plantora shot hundreds of little blades of grass at Umbreon.

Umbreon effortlessly weaved his way through the barrage.

When Umbreon came close enough, he fired a hypnotic ray from the ring on his forehead.

Plantora became confused and was inflecting damage on herself.

Umbreon reared up and beat Plantora with Assurance.

Plantora's words crackled though the air, "I give up."

Umbreon stepped back. However, he remained in a fighting stance.

Two Audino helped them off the field and attended to their injuries.

"Great match you two," I complimented, still feeling Butterfree in my stomach, "does anyone else want to do battle?" I scanned the group. For a moment, silence filled the air. Burner walked onto the battlefield. She hadn't moved or said a word since she came to training. "Burner," I asked, "Who do you want to fight?"

Her eyes locked on mine and I could see the animosity that burned behind them, "I want to fight you." I felt immense pressure as all eyes turned to me.

"S…Sure. I will fight you." I walked onto the battlefield.

We faced each other as I formulated a plan. _She is a fire type so I can't get hit. If I get hit even once, I might lose because of the type disadvantage. I will have to dodge all of her attacks and use my own weakness to my advantage._ I let my body temperature drop and made the ground I was standing on freeze into a perfectly flat slab of ice. It was small but the best I could do before the match began.

An Audino raised her paw and shouted, "Begin!"

Burner spared no time spraying a hot Flamethrower at me.

I leaped out of the way onto the side of the castle. I froze the side so I could use the wall as a spring board and leaped behind Burner.

I made sure to freeze the ground when I landed.

Burner turned her maw of fire towards me but I leapt out of the way, pelting her with my shining stars from Swift.

Everything my paws touched, I froze.

Burner stopped using Flamethrower and instead charged at me with her teeth aflame.

I grabbed her mid-lunge with my appendages and with all my might redirected her to the side while pelting her with an Icy Wind.

She turned towards me and charged again. This time, she slipped and fell.

I heard some of them laughing on the sidelines.

I simply smiled as I surveyed my handy work. The entire area was now an ice field.

Burner struggled to get her paws under her. She looked down and blasted the ice with her Flamethrower to no effect.

 _I have this field on lock down. Since I am directing all of my body heat directly into the ground, it would take something much hotter than a Flamethrower to melt it._

Frustrated, unable to move without slipping, Burner tried to aim her attack at me.

I jumped to the side, out of reach of her attack, and pelted her with my Swift. I never took my eyes off her as I paced around her struggling form.

I then lunged at her side.

She reacted quickly, flipping her head around and firing a vortex of flame.

I jumped and used my appendages for extra force as I lifted myself off the ground. I narrowly escaped the flames grasp with charred appendages.

I landed on the other side of Burner and thrust myself with a mighty tackle.

Burner fell but got back up quickly.

 _She is taking too many hits but not falling. I am going to have to use my counter._

I ran up to Burner and used the ice to slide underneath her.

On my way past I sprayed an Icy Wind at her paws, shackling her to the field itself.

Once I was safely away, I dug straight down.

 _The ground is far easier to dig though than I remember. Maybe it is because in Nixitrom, the ground is permafrost._ I pushed that out of my mind as I tried to focus. I sensed Burners presence and dug right underneath her.

I broke the surface, hitting Burner right in the belly and breaking the ice shackles. I put all of my focus into an Icy Wind for good measure.

Burner hit the ground with a loud Thud.

She didn't get up.

"Burner is unable to battle," One of the Audino spoke, "Shine is the winner."

Panting, I steadied my body temperature and the ice began to melt.

I tried to offer Burner an appendage, but she smacked it away even though she couldn't get up by herself.

Eventually when the ice melted, one of the Audino carried her off to the sidelines.

 _I…I didn't mean to hit her so hard._ I sighed and looked to the sidelines.

Jolt and Plantora looked at me wearing expressions of concern. Current was barely awake. Umbreon watched me with no expression and Eon still glared at me.

"I," *Pant* "I think that's enough for today." Eon walked away immediately, head held high. Umbreon slipped into the shadows and Current walked back into the castle. Only Jolt and Plantora remained.

I looked up at the castle towards a window. Although no figure sat in the window I could see the shimmer of a Light Screen and knew they were watching. _I don't know what to do Eev._

* * *

Again, the morning air felt still.

 _Add that to the list of things that depress me right now._

Running around the kingdom has always been a part of my daily routine and today was no exception. I liked running around in the morning. It's less about the training and more about the time I have to myself to think.

 _I just don't know what to do. I had to beat up Burner in training. I didn't want to hurt her. It's just, I have never had to deal with others before. This is the one thing that Eev never taught me how to do. How do I handle this?_ My thoughts were interrupted when a yellow blur whizzed by me.

"Hey Shine," Bolt circled her way around and adjusted her pace to match mine.

"Hey," _Bolt? Jolt? I am not good with names_ , "Jolt?"

She laughed, "I wish. If I were Jolt…" She looked longingly into the distance. I snapped her out of the trance with a wave of my appendage in front of her face. "Uh, what? Oh, right. So, how are things going?" She asked.

I slumped, "Not very good. Burner and Eon seem to hate me and I don't know why. I'm not very good at this leading thing."

"Hey you aren't that bad," She tried to comfort me.

"What leader beats her teammate so bad she can't walk off the field alone." Bolt didn't respond after that. We ran for quite a bit before either of us spoke again.

Then Bolt piped up to ask, "Wanta race?"

I tripped over my paws. "A race?"

"Yeah it'll be fun. Whoever can make it to the castle wins. Simple."

I pondered the idea for a moment.

"Come on," She said impatiently, "It's just yes or no."

"Yes," I finally said, "let's race."

"Great," Bolt prepared herself, "3…21GO!" Before I could blink, Bolt shot past me with a trail of electricity in her wake.

I rushed to catch up. I put all my might and focus into running, gaining a little bit of ground with each step. Eventually, I caught up with Bolt.

 _Eev taught me to pace myself and not run flat out. This is not that kind of run._

I took the lead as I poured all of my concentration into my stride. I felt a sharp poke in my side. I toppled back as my concentration was broken.

"Hey, no fair!" I shouted.

"In war, there is no such thing as fair! Just the victor!" She surged forward, going even faster.

 _Oh, is that the game you want to play?_ I smiled as I rushed to catch up.

I froze the ground around Bolt's paws. She slipped and I took the lead.

I heard a thunderous crack as a bolt of lightning struck me from behind.

I faltered and fell to the ground. Bolt rushed past me but I made sure to blow an Icy Wind in her path.

I got to my paws and chased her down. She was slowed by the ice on her fur making it easy to catch up.

When we were side by side, Bolt tried to drench me in a shower of electricity. I countered with a flurry of ice and snow.

We clashed as we rushed for the castle, finish line in sight. Neither of us would let up as we put all of our energy into our running and attacking, leaping over the finish line in a tie.

We didn't care. Together, we laughed as our power diminished.

I looked up and all the humor drained away.

"Hey what's the problem Shine? Laugh wi…" Bolt trailed off as she looked up as well.

Eev stood in front of us looking less than pleased.

I sat up straight, trying to figure out what Eev was mad about. Eev shifted her gaze to look behind us.

I turned my head and winced at what I saw. The castle, the road leading up to the castle and the town far below was bathed in a flurry of snow, ice and electric swirls.

 _Oooohhhhhhh, oops._ Was all I could think.

I heard someone stifling a laugh. I looked over to see Jolt sitting by Eev. Eev shot an annoyed glare at him.

"Come on Eev," Jolt said, "doesn't that remind you of something or someone?"

Eev's scowl didn't fade, "I will get a clean-up crew." Eev turned to us, "don't do it again."

* * *

I sighed, _Two more days._ I thought. _Two more days until the counter attack._

I walked down the hallway towards my room.

 _Today was oddly quiet. Burner didn't show up for the practice session and I really didn't hear much from Eon. I hope that's not a bad thing._

I gazed at my appendage. _If I learned one thing today, it's that these things are made of ice and not fur._

I walked past Umbreon. _If the counter attack is in two days, I might be able to…_

I turned to look behind me at Umbreon. He walked away from his room and towards the entrance of the castle. Curious, I followed.

When we made it outside, the darkness of night greeted us. Umbreon leaped onto one of the castle's side roofs and proceeded to climb his way up to the peak of the castle. He then sat there staring up at the night sky.

I decided to climb up after him. In my time at Nixitrom, Eev taught me how to rock climb, making this venture easy as I climbed up to Umbreon.

When I reached him, he looked back at me, "Hi, I hope it's okay if I stay here."

Umbreon didn't say a word.

 _Okay, this is how things are going to go._

He looked back up.

I followed his gaze and was awestruck.

The night sky glimmered above us, radiating its beauty throughout the land. The moon sat high, illuminating the land with it's white glow. The stars themselves, twinkled with such beauty I couldn't…

Umbreon snapped alert.

 _What? What is going on?_

I followed his gaze back into the night sky. For a moment, I saw nothing but the stars. Then I spotted it.

A black silhouette passed over the stars. I was able to place the figure as some kind of bird. No matter what it was, I knew what it was here to do.

 _A spy, we have to catch it._

I looked over at Umbreon.

He looked at me.

I signaled him to follow. We leapt off the roof and followed the shadow in the sky.

 _We can't catch it if it stays in the sky. We will need to bring it down somehow._ The bird started to descend into a nearby forest. _Convenient._

I pointed to the forest. Umbreon raced ahead of me and dived into the shadow of the trees.

I promptly followed, glancing up to watch the bird. The bird landed somewhere in the center of the forest.

I tried to move quietly through the darkness. Umbreon was gone. I had no idea where he went and I thought it best if I didn't try to follow.

I crept onto the landing sight. I saw a Vulture with spikes around his neck and a Meowth talking. I couldn't make out the words.

I prepared to launch myself. I caught a yellow glint in the corner of my eye.

I looked over to see Umbreon on one of the tree branches preparing to strike. I signaled over to him.

He didn't heed my signal. He wore an ominous grin. I sighed.

I waited for Umbreon to strike first. He quickly lunged and pinned the Meowth faster than I could register.

The Vulture became airborne.

I tried to do the same thing with the Vulture creature but all that I could manage was to freeze his legs. He rocketed into the forest.

I looked over at Umbreon who was too preoccupied with his pray to care.

I scrunched up my face and froze the Meowth. Umbreon looked at me puzzled.

I pointed in the direction the Vulture had gone.

Umbreon nodded and leaped back into the shadows of the forest. I ran after him. I was able to catch up with the bird quickly.

It seemed to be straining to gain altitude with the ice on its feet. I saw Umbreon jumping from the branches of the trees.

I signaled to him with my appendages seeking to relay my instructions to him. He nodded and jumped out of sight. I refocused on the bird in front of me.

I blew an Icy Wind, effectively surprising the bird and causing the ice on its feet to grow.

He quickly dodged the rest of the blast, banking hard to the left. I followed suit.

 _I just need to keep the pressure on. Keep looking at me._ I was gaining ground on the bird.

He attempted to shake me by bobbing and weaving through the trees and underbrush.

Out of thin air, Umbreon tackled the creature and pinned him to the ground.

I caught up to him and froze the creature's wings to the dirt for good measure.

I grinned and Umbreon grinned back at me. He moved to the side and hit at the ground with his paw. He stepped back to reveal what he had made.

I gazed at the words in the ground. "Dim Shade" I looked up at him, pointed an appendage to the words then back at him. He nodded.

"Alright, Dim. Let's take them in."


	6. Chapter 6 Counter Attack

I awoke from slumber with the sun barely above the horizon.

 _I don't want to wake up._ All the same, I got out of bed and walked out of my room.

" Shine," a Minccino stopped me as I exited my room, still groggy from sleep, "Glaceon would like to see you in her room." The Minccino then bowed and walked off.

 _What could Eev want?_ I wondered as I made my way to her room.

I stood at Eev's door, took a deep breath, adjusted my ice flower and opened the door.

Eev sat at her desk with piles of papers scattered around the room.

She looked up when I entered, "Nice to see you Shine. Everything going well?" Eev asked

"Nice to see you too," I countered, "everything has been going Okay."

We awkwardly stared at each other for a moment, not knowing what to say.

Eev broke the silence, "Anyway, I have called you here because you need to prepare your group to leave," Eev's tone sharpened, "We'll be taking a blimp to the gathering site in Pugilis to prepare for the counter attack. You will be in the command blimp, also known as Blimp One. In Pugilis, your group will be in camp B slot 35. You need to get supplies and tent materials by going to the requisitions tent then showing them your ID. Remember these instructions because no one else will have them but you."

I made a mental note of the numbers.

"On the blimp, we will go over the plan with the rest of the high-ranking officers. Then tomorrow you will be briefed on your part of the plan in greater detail with the rest of the divisions. You and your group will be engaging in full force combat for the first time." Eev's expression softened a little. "Are you ready for this?"

I took a deep breath, _Am I ready for this? I'm having trouble getting my group to work with each other. But…Am I ready? Are they ready? It doesn't matter if I am or not. The kingdom needs us, Eev needs us. We are going even if we aren't ready._ I let my breath out as stars shone around me.

"We are ready." I said, standing tall.

Eev sighed, "Alright, be at the Sky Port at 10:00."

I nodded.

* * *

We were walking to the Sky Port. I was in the lead, guiding the group. Dim was at my side watching our surroundings and the back of the group. I noted that Burner was in the back.

Eon reluctantly asked, "So, what are we doing?"

"We are taking a blimp to Pugilis," I said.

"And what are we doing in Pugilis?" She asked annoyance etched into every word.

 _Oh, I guess I never told them about the counter attack. Oops._ I addressed the group, "In Pugilis, we will prepare for the counter attack on Terrera. This counter attack is in two days."

"Two days!" Plantora exploded in disbelief, "the mistress and Eev just came back. How can they manage a counter attack in two days!" We walked into the Sky Port, showing our ID's to the guards as we passed.

"I don't really know," I responded, "All I know is that the Mistress and Eev have been preparing for it for the past five days."

The Sky Port was filled with Pokémon and Warriors, making it hard to get my bearings. I had only been here once before and it was empty at the time. I looked around the scattered blimps trying to figure out which one was ours.

"Five days is still fast," Bolt bolted to my side as she said, "But only Jolt could be that fast."

"Only mother could be that fast," I heard Eon whisper. I decided not to comment.

I scanned the blimps, looking for a 1 on the side of the cabin. "This way," I directed them through the crowd.

"Why bother moving so quickly?" Current asked, "They could do all this in double the time and have fewer mistakes."

"Probably for the element of surprise," I offered.

"That's stupid," Eon said, "Nobunaga already knows a counter attack is coming. He has prepared for it. The real goal should be to hit Nobunaga so hard, so fast, that he won't have time to react."

We started to board the airship.

"Huh," Plantora said deep in thought, "Never thought of it that way."

Once we were all on board, an Audino came up to all of us. "Hello, please head to the briefing room. Glaceon will tell you all about the mission once we depart." She then informed us of our room locations.

I led them to the briefing room. I felt the tension creeping up my spine as we moved through the hall. _I can't believe it! I'm leading my very own ESF! I can't mess this up. I have to stay the leader or Eev… I don't want to think about it._

Dim looked at me quizzically.

I pulled myself out of my thoughts, made a conscious effort to relax my shoulders, and gave him a grin. He went back to scanning.

We arrived at two double doors and pushed our way inside the huge room. Eev stood at the front, placing dots on the detailed wall maps. Starting in the center, tables went from one side of the room to the other. Each table was raised higher than the last in a tiered effect. Stairs ran up either side of the room. Many different Warriors and Pokémon sat quietly working at the tables. I walked over to the stairs. I saw the ESF1 sitting in the front row. Right behind them, a sign read, "ESF2".

I guided my group to the tables reserved for us. I sat anxiously as more Warriors and Pokémon entered the room.

Unsure what to do, I examined the ESF in front of me. Most seemed to be chatting about unrelated subjects.

I sighed.

A note entered my vision. I looked up to see Dim trying to give it to me. I grabbed it with my icy appendage and read, "You nervous? I have noticed that you get little stars around you when you are nervous. Stars too small for any normal eye to see."

"A little." I wrote on the paper and handed it back.

He handed me a new note, "Try taking a deep breath and examine your surroundings more closely. I find that I miss things if I am too anxious."

I tried to follow Dim's advice. I took a deep breath and observed the room more closely. Eev was preparing the wall in front of us with a map of Terrera, placing small dots of different colors on the board. The Leafeon, Jolteon, and Flareon below us were talking to each other. Umbreon didn't say anything. Espeon seemed to be in some kind of trance and Vaporeon was missing. I looked behind me and saw each of the division leaders except the leader for the Vaporeon division. In the back corner, I could see the Mistress hiding in the shadows. Two Vaporeon entered the room and were stopped by Eev. I lifted my ear.

"Were have you two been? We are about to start." Eev said, irritation clearly audible.

"Well sorry Eev," one of the Vaporeons countered, "But the Vaporeon division is kinda hard to assemble."

"Just, take a seat," Eev said. Eev then turned to one of the Audino that stood by the door.

 _Huh, didn't notice that before._ Eev then nodded to the Audino and the Pokémon left the room. A moment later, the entire airship gave a huge lurch and we were airborne.

"So," Eev spoke addressing the crowd of Pokémon and warriors. Everyone came to attention. "Let's begin."

Eev gestured to the huge wall in the front of the room with a complete picture of the kingdom of Terrera. On the left, was the border to Pugilis, on the right was the border to Cragspur. The top, was the border to Illusio, and the bottom was the sea. In the center, was the Terrera castle. Eev pointed to the left border. There, a series of white dots were arranged in a line. Adjacent to the line, a group of black dots sat blocking the path.

"This is the front line," Eev confirmed my suspicions, "breaking through this line is the easy part of this plan. The Jolteon division will deploy from Illusio and strike this group from the rear." Eev used the Ice appendage to drag a cluster of yellow dots from Illusio to the rear of the line of black dots. "Simultaneously, the Vaporeon division will move in from the sea and join the Jolteon attack." Eev grabbed a cluster of blue dots and pulled them up to the yellow dots. "Once everyone is in position, pierce a hole in the lines to allow the main force in," Eev used the dots to create a hole in the lines and pulled the white dots into Terrera. Bringing the dots in close to the castle, Eev continued, "There are two armies that we need to take care of before we can engage the castle," Eev pointed towards one group of black dots below the castle. "The main force will head down to take out the army in the south," Eev pulled a group of white dots and combined them with the black dots in the south. "From what we can gather, this group is the main force that Nobunaga was building to attack Pugilis. Expect heavy resistance." Eev then pulled the rest of the white dots and one silver towards the back of the castle where another group of black dots waited. "The new ESF, with a small attachment, will engage the forces in the back of the castle," I tensed when I heard new ESF, "this is the rear guard, designed to engage when the castle is in jeopardy. These fighters aren't as strong. Expect medium resistance." Eev pulled a single silver dot to the castle. "ESF1 will take the castle. That's the plan." I marveled at the plan. "Speed is of the upmost importance. This entire operation is supposed to be done in one day."

Murmurs exploded from the crowd. _Apparently one day is fast?_

"Attention!" The room fell silent, "Like I said, speed is of the upmost importance. Run your divisions as fast as you can. This operation must be a success if we are to take Terrera." I ran the plan through my head. "You are all dismissed."

All the Warriors and Pokémon got out of their seat and left the room. I was still sitting lost in thought, trying to work out the plan.

 _Something still nags me._ I looked up at the board. _Why is there…_

"Hey, Shine?" I looked up startled.

"Who, what?"

Eev smiled up at me, "Can you stay behind for a moment, alone." I looked to the side to see my entire group still with me. At Eev's "alone", they all got up and moved out of the room.

 _Did I do something wrong? The only time…_ My thoughts were interrupted as the Mistress came from the back corner of the room.

"Come on," she said as she passed. I followed the Mistress to the front of the room. "So, what do you think of it?" The Mistress asked.

 _What do I think? Why are they asking me this question?!_

"I'm really not the one to be answering this, perhaps some other…"

Eev cut me off, "What do you think of the plan. Just run it through your head and tell us if anything seems odd to you."

I sighed. _They just don't get it. Well, there is something that nagged at me…_

"There is one thing," I pointed towards the flurry of black dots on the right side of the castle, "Why is the rear guard so weak?" The two of them didn't say a word. I continued, "That and," I pointed to a river that ran across the right side of the castle to the sea. I followed the river a short way up as it curved northeast and became a Canyon. "If I were to place a counter attack force somewhere, I would put it here where it can't be seen until it's too late."

The two of them didn't take their eyes off the board for several moments, then they started to smile.

"I'll get a scout," Eev walked out of the room. The Mistress still sat looking at the board. Then she grabbed the silver dot that was on the castle and placed it in the Canyon. The golden dot replaced the silver dot on the castle.

* * *

Pugilis, the fighting kingdom, didn't look much different from Aurora. At least from camp B, it looked like a bunch of forests. My group and I walked into the campsite.

I was searching for our spot. _10, 11, 12…_

"Why don't they just let the Jolteon rush them," Bolt spoke, "I mean, that's what they're doing but I'm sure that the Jolteon division is fast enough to do the job without the Vaporeon's help."

"Honestly," Current commented, "I'm kinda surprised that they can get the Vaporeon division to organize for this assault. They really don't like to organize quickly."

 _20, 21, 22…_

"The Flareon division can cut right through that front line in no time," Burner stated, "I don't get why they need any of the other divisions."

 _30, 31, 32…_

"Because they need speed," Eon countered, "Flareon's aren't fast. Jolteons can get to the battlefield in less than an instant and Vaporeon can already be on the battlefield before it starts with their location to the water."

 _33, 34…_

"They can just hold them off and wait for us to arrive."

 _35_

"Oh, can they?" Eon countered, "You think that…"

I cut her off, "Okay, this is our tent spot. Eon, Plantora, can you please help me gather the materials for the tent?"

Plantora nodded.

Eon silently fell in line behind me.

Plantora came up next to me and whispered, "Good idea separating those two."

"What?" I whispered back, "I just thought having telekinesis would make carrying the supplies easier."

Plantora looked at me quizzically for a moment before asking, "then why did you pick me?"

"Because I don't actually know where the requisitions tent is," I smiled sheepishly.

Plantora smiled as she rolled her eyes, "the requisitions tent is always near the front of the camp. Easier to get supplies in that way."

We walked down towards the tent. A line jetted out from the tent and I sighed as I got in line.

"So how do these things usually go?" I asked Plantora.

"What things? There are a lot of things here," she chuckled.

"Well, all of it. The operations, the camps…battle?"

"Operations tend to very depending on what's going on. Most of the time, you get your orders and try to fulfill them as best you can. I never saw the whole plan until now. I guess being in this group has its perks," she smirked,

"You have never known the plan before?" Eon asked in bafflement. Her sudden intrusion made both of us jump.

"Uh, yeah. Higher ups don't like telling the grunts the entire story in case they get caught. A few moments in psychic interrogation and the enemy will know the entire plan," Eon fell silent again, this time lost in thought. "Camps are all the same. You get your slot, get your material and get your orders. Pokémon tend to keep to themselves. Really nothing more to it than that."

"And battle?" I asked.

She looked me up and down, "Have you ever fought another Pokémon before?"

"Yeah, I have fought other Pokémon before," memories of my training flashed in my mind.

"Oh really," Eon's cynical voice broke in, "and these Pokémon you fought were in your training?"

"Yes," I countered not sure what she was getting at, "there was Sealeo, a Gothitelle," _A weird ice abomination,_ "Several others and then my final with a Pokémon I think Eev said was Articuno."

Eon froze up at the last word.

"Huh, never head of a Pokémon named Articuno," Plantora said.

We made our way to the front of the line.

"Good, we've made it. Go on Shine," Plantora nudged me forward to the receptionist.

I nervously stepped in front of the Cinccino. He smiled as I asked, "Uh…Seven tents please?" I heard someone face-palm behind me.

"Oh, you're new to this," he spoke cheerily, "just hand me your ID and then we give you everything you'll need."

I smiled at him as I held out the ID on the back of my appendage, "Thank you," he grabbed the ID and ran it through the tail that seemed to go over his head. After a brief moment, he handed it back to me.

"Alright, Shine, I'll get your things," he disappeared into the tent.

"And that's how the requisitions tent works," Plantora said behind me.

 _It would have been nice to have known that before I came to the front._

I heard footsteps and saw a ginormous box walking up with two others flanking it. The three boxes were placed on the ground revealing Cinccino and two Machoke.

"What is all this!" Plantora asked.

"This is all the stuff under your label," Cinccino responded, "I don't question it, I just divvy it up as the sheets say."

I looked over the crates. Opening the one closest to me revealed that it was full of Hyper potions. I gaped at the sheer number of them.

"We don't need all of these. If we are going to be fast, we need to be light."

I rifled through the box with my appendage and pulled out fourteen Hyper potions. I opened the second box. It was filled to the brim with berries. I pulled out fourteen of the largest berries I could find. I searched through the third container but all it contained was tent supplies and saddle bags.

I signaled to Eon. She lifted the third box and the supplies I had separated.

"This is all we need. Please take the rest back."

Cinccino shrugged, "Hey, I don't care. If you don't want it, that's your business," the two Machokes took the other two boxes and disappeared into the tent.

I smiled as we left.

Eon grabbed my attention as we walked, "Hey, why fourteen?" She asked.

"Two for each of us," I responded, "as much as we can comfortably carry."

She fell back, deep in her thought, as we made our way back to the others.

* * *

The next day rolled around. Everyone in camp B was called for a briefing. I walked out of my tent and made sure that my little ice flower was firmly behind my ear.

I looked to see the rest of the group following suit, except for one, "Burner!"

I plowed my way into her tent. She rested in her bed. "Burner we have a meeting to get to. Get up now."

"I am not going," She replied.

I sighed. _This meeting is mandatory for everyone. I don't want to disappoint Eev. How do I get her to go?_ Then a thought crossed my mind.

I lay a paw on the bed and poured all of my body chill into it. The sheets started to freeze. Burner leaped out of the bed and shivered on the floor.

I laughed as my radiant sparkles flashed around me.

"What was that all about?!" Burner protested.

"You're coming to this meeting whether you come of your own free will or in a block of ice." Burner grumbled and stormed right past Plantora and out of her tent. Wait, Plantora?! I turned to look at her.

Before I could say anything, she spoke, "What were those stars?"

My amusement instantly started to falter as I was reminded of school, "I…um…their…uh…"

"They were beautiful. Can you do it again?" I was taken aback.

"Wha…" _She doesn't think they were weird?_ "Uh…No…they just happen every now and again."

"Shame. Well, best be on our way to the meeting," Plantora walked out and I fell in line behind her.

We walked down to the Briefing tent. As we made our way closer and closer, more Pokémon and Warriors started to fall in around us. We didn't speak a word between us. Sometimes greetings were exchanged with passing Pokémon, but otherwise silence reigned. The main tent was far larger than I anticipated. It took up the space of three regular tents. Pokémon and Warriors were filing into an open flap. I followed the crowd.

We entered a room no bigger than a regular tent. _Huh, the tent must be partitioned into different rooms. They probably have some other stuff behind that wall._ I looked around for seats. There were three rows of benches, each one higher than the last. In the back benches towards the center, there was a sign marked "Reserved for ESF2" _I guess that's us._

I lead the group to the spots and sat down. On the wall we faced, there was a map of Terrera. Unlike Eev's map, it was much more focused around the castle. We sat in our seats for what seemed like hours waiting for all the Pokémon to arrive.

I looked around and examined the occupants of the room. A few Leafeons sat in the front row, idly chatting, Espeons were to the far left and the rest were a seemingly random assortment of Pokémon. An Empoleon, Darmanitan, Leavanny, Grovyle, Gurdurr, Machoke, Scizor and an Excadrill were a few of the different Pokémon in the tent with us. I noticed that they were all evolved Pokémon. I could hear some of them whispering and glancing back at us.

A tall humanoid figure with green hair and a white dress stepped in. The Gardevoir moved to the front of the room and began levitating small black and white dots. She placed the dots in the exact configuration Eev had shown me yesterday, one below the kingdom and one to the right of the kingdom.

"Everyone," She spoke with authority, "Tomorrow, we will embark on one of the quickest operations that we have ever performed. Swiftness is of the upmost importance. After the front lines have been broken, you are to rush towards the castle," she levitated white dots and set them in place near the castle. "Once you reach this landmark," she pointed towards a tall spire that sat in the middle of the desert, "you will separate. Tritype, Hammer, Psychos and Buggin platoons will head south," she moved a section of white dots to the south, "you will engage and eliminate the enemy. Excavate and Natare platoons, along with ESF2, will head around the castle and attack the group here." She moved a white dot, a green dot and a silver dot behind the castle into the mass of black. "Your orders are to hold off the enemy forces until backup can arrive. Speed is of the upmost importance. This operation should not head into the night. We will leave at 0500 tomorrow morning. When the signal comes that the front line has been destroyed, you are ordered to run your troops as fast as you can until you reach your intended destination. If the sun sets and you haven't completed your mission, then you have failed. Is that understood?"

The entire room filled with a unified voice, "YES MA'AM!"

Gardevoir nodded, "Dismissed!"

13


	7. Chapter 7 The Attack

The morning air was cold for the first time as I looked over the desert. I raised my body temperature as high as I could make it.

I stood on the tips of my paws with my entire body shaking. It felt like my brain was going to explode as my anxiety and excitement were stirred together in a way I'd never felt before. Stars wouldn't stop shining around me. Luckily, no one else noticed.

The sun hadn't risen yet, wrapping all of us in the seemingly endless blanket of night. I felt the buzz of adrenaline even though the fighting hadn't started. I adjusted my little ice flower for the fortieth time.

I looked around the expansive army at the border of Pugilis. The sheer number of Pokémon and Warriors is staggering. We were all ready for the engagement to begin. I could hear my heart thudding in my chest. I saw Eev and the rest of the ESF1 at the front of the mass. Eev just smiled at me and didn't say a word.

Streaks of light emanated from the sun that hadn't yet made its climb above the mountainous horizon.

*BOOM*

I nearly leapt out of my skin as I heard the explosion. I could see the blasts of the battle beginning in front of us. I couldn't discern any figures, just the fury of the Pokémon's attacks at the front lines. I turned my head to see the rest of my group.

They wore a variety of expressions ranging from eagerness to indifference. The only one who let their nerves show was Eon.

I tried to take a deep breath to relax. It didn't help. If anything, my heart beat even faster. I felt like I was going to break apart if I didn't do something soon.

I decided to watch the rays of sunshine as they slowly arced their way towards us. Trying to drown out the distant sounds of fighting, I focused on the noise of the crowd around us. There was idle chatter here and there but nothing I could decipher.

A rowdy laugh pierced the tense air. All eyes fell on a Warrior clothed in red with white bushy hair and a little plum. A Rhyperior was by his side, laughing with him. "It doesn't matter whether we win or lose," he said to no one in particular, "If we fight with all of our heart we will always be victorious."

A Warrior beside him cloaked in white armor nodded.

I sighed. This time it relaxed me a little. _Fight with all my heart huh? I wonder…_ As the sun started to shine its light over us, a red fireball shot into the sky. _The signal!_ All the Pokémon and Warriors prepared themselves for the run of their lives. The fireball crept up the sky so slowly I felt like I would pop before it did. Then, the fireball burst. The air filled with thunder as the hundreds of creatures began their mission.

I was one of the lead pair guiding the mass of creatures straight into the clash ahead of us. As we came closer to the front lines, I could start to see the faces of Pokémon and Warriors fighting. A break in the lines became visible.

 _That's our hole?_ I looked back at the swarming mass behind me. _We'll never fit everyone through that._ _It doesn't matter, we were coming up on the gap way too fast._

I had to power past my reservations and hope that everyone would make it through. I saw a rather confused looking Golbat in my way. _We're moving too fast. I can't stop, I can't move. We were going to collide!_

Out of instinct, I shot an Icy Wind straight at the Golbat. It froze into a solid block of ice. _Well that doesn't help._ With the adrenaline carrying me, I leapt onto the block and backflipped off, without losing any momentum.

As I landed, I realized I was through the front line. I could see the castle of Terrera but at this distance it just looked like a tall tower. Other than the castle and the mountains, all that rested before us was open desert. We rushed as fast as our legs could carry us through the sands.

We ran for what seemed like hours before the castle started to grow.

A formation of Staravia flew above us, headed straight for the castle. I looked around and saw dozens of Staraptors, Staravias, and Starly's diving for the castle in the distance.

Several black dots disengaged themselves from the castle walls and took to the skies headed right for us! They came in so fast I could barely register them. Unfezants, Braviary, Rufflets and Tranquill.

Soon, our bird Pokémon were pitted in fierce aerial combat with Nobunaga's. I tried to focus on my own objective as I rushed across the desert.

A Tranquill fell from the skies right in front of me! I jumped over the unconscious Tranquill but he wasn't the only one. Soon, birds from both sides rained down upon us as they were defeated. I couldn't stop running. I had to maneuver through the countless falling bodies. I had several near misses. Around me, I could hear others less fortunate than me get knocked out by the fallen birds. We cleared the aerial assault and continued pushing forward.

I was starting to tire. The sun was rising higher in the sky, every inch it crept burning me more and more. I put all my focus into keeping my body heat as high as I could make it. The castle was no longer a faint blur in the distance, but a huge tower that grew with every step. Up ahead, I could see a spire of rock jetting out from the ground.

 _The check point!_

We roared past the stone. I could hear words barely audible, "Break!"

I started angling myself northeast. I looked around. My group was still with me. _That's good._ Several platoons of Pokémon and warriors followed us.

I shot a look behind me to see most of the charging Pokémon heading south. Eev was running off to who knows where with her group.

 _Stay focused on your own objective Snow._ We moved our way around the castle.

I glanced back at the army going south to see a myriad array of attacks pelting them. _That could be a problem. I need to think of a way around that when we get there._ I took in my surroundings. In the north, large spires of rock seemed to be common. I examined where we were headed and saw a long stretch of rock extending vertically from the ground. _I can use that!_ I started to smile as I mentally performed the moves.

In no time, I could see the enemy force we were supposed to hit. A river sat behind them. I saw that the spire I had picked out, ran along their camp.

 _Perfect!_

I veiled myself in a Barrier. I looked around to see some rather shocked expressions as the veil covered them. I didn't have time to think about it. Just before beams lanced out of the camps, I jumped, landed on the side of the spire, froze the surface and ran across it.

Beams from attacks battered the advance but I wasn't the only one to take an alternative route. Eon teleported, Bolt moved lightning fast, Dim ran into some shadows and I lost sight of him, an Excadrill dug holes and other Pokémon found more creative ways than mine to get close. Most, though, had to endure the onslaught.

I wasn't in the clear as I ran across the wall. Multiple beams turned their focus on me. It was disorienting to run on a wall to begin with but, when I started dodging attacks, I couldn't tell up from down.

Halfway across the spires, I leapt off the side of the wall and straight into the enemy mass. When I landed, I froze all around me. It effectively removed six enemies from battle.

Instantly, a Pokémon lashed out at me.

I dodged but ran straight into an enemy.

I quickly spun around and hit him with Icy Wind.

Another came up on me.

Instinctively I rolled over, putting distance between the two of us.

I shot an Icy Wind at him and he froze instantly.

More Pokémon were surrounding me. A bolt of lightning turned their attention away.

Bolt ran through the crowd covering them in a shower of electricity.

I used the distraction to hit as many of them as I could with my Icy Wind. I tried to run towards my allies.

I saw one fall. I rushed to his aid, breathing frosted breath at all in my way.

I got to the Grovyle and pulled out my Hyper potion.

A paw rested on my shoulder.

I looked behind to see Plantora saying something. I couldn't hear over all the fighting. A Pokémon lunged out behind her.

I fired an Icy Wind, effectively freezing the Pokémon. Plantora looked behind in astonishment then turned to me gesturing to the battle.

I glanced at the fallen Pokemon, _I'm sorry but I don't have a choice_. I nodded back at Plantora and ran in.

I moved through the battling Pokémon. A Machoke's Karate chop stopped me in my path. Thankfully he hit in front of me rather than on me.

I instinctively jumped back and faced my opponent. Another Karate chop fell, this time aiming for me.

I ran straight for him diving under the chop and through his legs. As I passed, I bit his legs with my Icy Fang to no avail.

We turned to face each other.

I rushed him again. He used his Karate chop but this time came in from the side.

At the last moment, I jumped and ran up his arm.

When I reached his head, I blasted him with an Icy Wind which sent me flying.

I landed on top of a…Krokorok…an enemy!

I blasted it with an Icy Wind and released my cold onto it at the same time. It barely even registered what was happening before it froze and fell.

I jumped off to see Current in front of me, mouth agape.

A Pawniard tried to swipe at me.

I gave ground as it continued advancing and swiping at me with it's knives.

It fell as a jet of water exploded from behind the Pokémon. Current stood smiling. The battle closed in around us and we were quickly separated.

I maneuvered through the mass before I saw a Rhyhorn charge at me.

I grabbed it by the horn with my appendages. I was barely holding him. He was pushing with all his might and I was no match for it.

I gave ground as I thrust his horn to the side and jumped the other way, redirecting him.

I shot an Icy Wind at the Rhyhorn before I ran into another enemy. I tried to blow an Icy Wind at him but nothing came out.

Panicking, I stepped back with stars trailing behind me. I shot my shiny stars at him with Swift but it wasn't as effective.

The Onix turned to face me.

 _Oooohhhhh…_ Was all I could think before it slammed me with its tail.

I got up, unfazed, and began bobbing and weaving my way towards the beast.

He launched numerous violent swings of his tail which I jumped over or away from.

 _It's a rock type so my Swift won't be effective and I'll lose if I get hit once more. On the other paw, it's also a ground type which is weak to my Icy Wind. Ugh, why did my move have to fail me now!_

Another great swing from the Onix nearly ended the battle for me.

I quickly darted to the side. _I can't get close enough for my Icy Fang. What to do? What to do?!_

An idea came to mind. I lowered my body temperature and directed all the cool air to my fur. Onix's tail came down atop me.

I darted to the side as it crashed to the ground.

I felt like my body was being scorched in the blistering heat but I could feel ice crystals forming on my fur.

Onix lifted it's tail for another attack.

I jumped and simultaneously launched all the needle-like ice crystals on my fur at Onix. He reared back, a cry of pain penetrating the battle ridden air.

I launched at him with a Quick Attack and followed up with an Icy Fang. He fell and didn't get up.

I raised my body temperature but I had no room to breathe. The next Pokémon came from the crowd to confront me.

 _Can't I have a little break_? I thought as I tried to get my temperature back to safe levels.

I jumped out of the way of her Sand Attack. I tried to use my Icy Wind. Nothing!

 _AWE COME ON!_

I tried again, this time I narrowed the attack down as much as I could in the vain hope something would come out. To my surprise, it worked.

A tiny beam of ice shot out of my mouth and struck my opponent, instantly knocking it out.

 _Well, that's a new move! Ice Beam!_ A cry for help resonated through the air.

 _Wait, how can I hear something in all this…"HELP!" What? In my MIND?!_ Then it clicked. _EON!_

I rushed through the crowd pushing, shoving and dodging attacks as I made my way toward where I felt Eon was.

I found her on the ground being hit repeatedly by Scrafty. An image of my old school bullies flashed in my mind. I shot my Ice Beam right at them, freezing one solid.

I rushed for the other, biting with my Icy Fang. They staggered back and turned their attention on me.

Without missing a beat, I dodged their High Jump kicks and pelted them with my Swift stars.

One fell, and with another Ice Beam, the other joined him.

I rushed to Eon's side, pulled out one of my Hyper potions from my saddle bags, and applied the medicine.

She looked up at me, "Those Pokémon, no matter what move I used I couldn't hurt them. If it wasn't for your Barrier, I would be done for."

"Had the same problem," I joked, "dark types are immune to Psychic type attacks."

"They were Dark types?!"

I heard a Pokémon rush at us.

I reared my back legs up and kicked him to the side. "Are you okay?" I asked as I scanned our surroundings.

"How…" she trailed off

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Can you keep going?" I asked her.

She nodded and I helped her up with an appendage.

A Pokémon rushed behind Eon.

I shot an Ice beam right past her ear and straight into the oncoming Pokémon. She looked back, astonishment clearly etched on her face.

"Come on, we have a battle to win," I encouraged, "stay behind me and watch my back."

Without waiting for a response, I jumped into the crowd blasting my beams of ice into any enemy I saw.

Out of the corner of my vision, a Machoke was about to use Karate chop on me!

A pinkish beam struck him and he fell.

I looked behind to see Eon smiling back at me.

"Which direction is the highest concentration of enemies?" I asked her.

She pointed to her right.

"Tell all allies to keep clear and keep me covered. I am about to do something stupid."

Not wanting to hear her response, I started charging my attack. I looked towards the direction that Eon had pointed and I released my Hyper Beam.

An enormous beam lanced out and engulfed everything it touched in a sheet of white that stretched to the sea. The sheer size of the beam surprised even me.

When the light faded, my body was drained. I couldn't move, couldn't talk, I could barely see.

Before me was utter devastation. Every Pokémon in the beam's path, enemy and ally, lay still in the divide I had created. _I…I didn't know..._ a Pokémon fell in front of my vision and Eon came into view. I couldn't hear her words.

All I could hear was the faint sound of combat in the distance. Unable to move, unable to say anything, I stood like an ice statue in the middle of all the fighting. Eon was doing her best to keep the enemies off me. _Wait…I…should…be back…by now…why isn't…my…strength…returning…I…nedeairkga…_ And like that everything went black.

* * *

My legs felt shaky. Warmth spread through me. My body floated through my imagination. Something crushed me back to reality.

I woke up in my room at Aurora castle. The details were a bit of a blur. I walked down the halls, unsure where to go. The castle seemed to blend together. Eventually, I made my way to the foyer. There, my group sat along with Eev's group.

Eon spoke first, "That's terrible. Made me want to vomit."

Bolt jumped in, "Yeah, even I could have done better."

"It was pretty bad," Current said lazily.

"In all my years, I have never seen a Pokémon fail so miserably," Plantora spoke with disappointment.

"What's going on!" I asked, "What did I do?"

"Your demotion that's what," Eev said scornfully, "Such a mistake making you the leader. Eon will take over from now on."

"What! But Eev, I tried my best," Tears welling in my eyes.

"Yeah well your best just isn't good enough and those star things disgust me. A kid like you has no place anywhere near me. Get out of my sight."

I collapsed and curled in upon myself, sobbing openly. Everything vanished and I was left in the dark, alone, crying by myself. It felt like hours before light invaded the darkness. I looked up to see a brilliant glow above me.

"Child," The light spoke, "what do you seek?"

"What do I seek?" I asked unsure what was even going on.

"All creatures on this planet seek something. It's in their design and they use knowledge, willpower and emotion to achieve what they seek. Do you even know what you're looking for? Do you even know what you're fighting for?" The voice asked.

I winced, _What do I want? Why do I fight?_

"Perhaps I could be of assistance in this manner."

My head started to ache as images flashed in the darkness around me.

"Interesting…" the voice mused, "You seek the approval of Eev, your master, the one who saved you from your old life. You seek to oversee your own Eevee Special Forces. However, most of all you seek friends."

I twitched at that.

"Listen well my child. You lack the willpower and the knowledge to achieve these goals. Eventually, you will fail. To prevent your failure, there are things you need to know,"

Words crossed my mind, "Only mother could…" "Golden dot," "Ice Abomination," "confused looking Golbat in my way," "I just divvy it up as the sheets say," "Your name is not Burner."

"Things you need to see. Always keep this word in your mind. Ask."

The light disappeared and I was plunged into nothingness.

Everything was black. I tried to remember my dream but all I could recall was the word ask. I heard faint muttering. I felt warm and snug as I opened my eyes. I looked around a darkened room filled to the brim with Pokémon. Most of the Pokémon, including myself, were injured and lay on cots. The room was still except for a few Audinos walking between the wounded. I lay on my side and, as I tried to move, noticed my bandages. I examined myself and found that my appendages were completely covered along with my sides and legs. I didn't feel any pain. Just the warm embrace of the bed…the ice bed. I looked down to see that I was indeed laying on a sheet of ice.

As I looked up, my eyes caught an odd shape next to my bed. _DIM!_ Dim rested next to my bed, his black coat concealing him from my original scan. I took a better look and noticed he was sleeping.

 _Why is he here? Well, I'm not going to wake him up to ask him._ I rested my head back against the cot.

*Ping*

"Ow." _Ice pillows. Hard. Got it._ The tiny noises were like thunder in the silent room.

Dim sprang up, alert, and met my gaze. We stared at each other, then Dim handed me a paper. "Are you feeling okay?"

Not wanting to break the silence, I grabbed the pen Dim held with my mouth and wrote back to her. "Yeah, I'm okay."

 _But why are you here and not with the others?_ A word sprung to the forefront of my mind. _Ask._ I wrote down what I had thought onto the paper.

Dim looked at the paper for a long moment before writing and handing it back to me. "Because, you are my master. I will follow my masters every order and protect her from harm. My life has no other purpose." I looked at him with new found respect and appreciation. His demeanor didn't change. He stared back at me with red eyes, not giving a hint of inflection.

I sighed, "Can I get up?" I wrote.

"No. Just rest." Dim got up and grabbed a clipboard from the front of my bed and showed it to me.

"Patient: Shiny Snow. Injuries: Heat stroke, Battle fatigue, broken ice appendages, multiple lacerations."

 _Broken Ice Appendages? I didn't even know you could break them. They were made of ice!_ Still that didn't matter too much.

I started to get up.

Dim forcefully placed a paw on my side and stared at me.

I tried to give him my most reassuring smile.

Dim slowly removed his paw.

I moved the rest of the way out of bed. My legs felt like they were on fire as I put weight on them. I paused to gain my balance and the pain eased. I walked out of the infirmary as Dim flanked me.

Once we were in the halls, I asked, "So, are we in Terrera?"

Dim nodded.

 _So, the plan worked. We did it!_ I smiled as stars shined around me.

Dim gave a faint smile in response.

"Where's the exit?" I asked Dim.

He moved in front of me and guided me towards the exit.

His tail held out a sheet of paper, "Why do you want to go outside?"

"Well…" I pondered for a moment, _If I tell him what I am planning to do, he will probably stop me._ "I need to do something." I vaguely hinted.

He glanced over his shoulder then turned forward.

When we made our way to the entrance, he opened the door, revealing the night sky.

"How long was I out?" I asked him.

He held up two paws then pointed upward into the sky.

"Two…Two days?" He nodded.

 _Wow! Two days. For some reason, I thought it was longer._

I looked at Dim. "Thank you Dim, you have been a great help but I would like to be alone for this." Dim looked at me startled for a second, then bowed and went back inside.

Suddenly, my entire body shivered with excitement as I felt it. Cold air! I enjoyed the cool fresh breeze for a moment before I started my run around the castle. My muscles ached but I continued all the same.

 _It's no worse than any of my Nixitrom runs._ I reassured myself.

I looked around at the old battlefields. Other than some damage to the castle, nothing showed in the desert. I have no way to tell if any of the battles were successful or not.

"Hold up!" I looked behind me to see Eon racing to catch up to me. I slowed my pace. She came up to me panting.

"Eon? What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I could be asking you the same question. You should be resting, not running."

"Habit I guess. I am used to running through far worse."

"What could be worse than running right after your out of the infirmary?" Eon asked

"Running two laps around a kingdom in the middle of a snow storm after going up and down a Pokémon infested mountain. Trust me, this isn't that bad."

"Is that true?"

I nodded, "Eev didn't go easy on me." Eon fell silent. We started walking together, "So, what happened with the battle?" I asked

"Your huge Hyper Beam pretty much ended our fighting. We only had to mop up a few of the stragglers. The others took longer but were victorious. Apparently, there was an extremely large force to the north of us hidden away in a canyon. Eev and the ESF1 took them on but the leader was the Warlord of Cragspur. They had an intense fight before the enemy fell." She sighed, "Did…did Eev teach you those Scrafty were dark types?"

"Yeah. After I memorized the type chart and Eev made me remember the type of every common enemy in Ranesi."

Eon looked up at the stars, "How could you stay so calm in the fight?"

I looked at her. She didn't look back, "I wasn't calm. I was anything but calm. However, if I doubted myself, I knew I would die."

I paused and joined Eon looking at the stars. "In training, I was wandering through a winter snow. I was attacked by one of Nobunaga's subordinates. It pinned me in an ice cave. A weird monster showed up and attacked us. My attacker panicked, couldn't adapt, froze up and was defeated. It turned on me. I was afraid but I knew if I let my fear control me I would die. I had to trust my instincts. I had to trust myself. I used my fear and allowed my instincts to guide me. Eventually, I managed to escape."

"You handled it better than I did. Thank you, for helping me."

I smiled at her, "We're a team. We'll always look out for each other no matter what."

She nodded. We walked for a bit before Eon said, "So what was the rest of your training like?"

"Well…"

15


	8. Chapter 8 Rocky Roads

I walked down the halls of the Terrera castle that I knew all too well. _It's been a month of nothing but training exercises. When will we be in another battle?_ I thought as I moved down the hall towards Eev's room. I stopped short as I heard voices.

"I am still opposed to this plan Mistress. I don't think we should reuse plans from the past."

"It almost worked last time, all we needed was another strike force and now we have one." I nudged open the door. Eev sat with the Mistress looking at a map of Cragspur. Upon my intrusion, they both looked at me. "I'll leave the explanation to you. I have an army to prepare." The Mistress stepped out.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"We used this plan a few years ago, I just don't like reusing plans. Anyway, you have a new mission." I straightened. "In about a week, we will mobilize to attack Cragspur. Your mission will start tomorrow. Cragspur is mountainous country. You will travel through these mountains. Avoid roads and enemy scouts at all costs. Your checkpoint will be at this peak," Eev handed me a map. "It's a safe house for recon and spies. Wait there for further instructions. Once you receive your instructions, you will head to a bridge. Take and hold the bridge no matter what. It is critical that it does not fall back into the hands of Nobunaga. This attack isn't happening for a good week, so you will have time to get to the peak. You will leave tomorrow morning so be sure to get your team ready." I nodded. "Dismissed."

I walked out of the room and down the hall where the rest of my group were enjoying breakfast. _A bridge I must take and hold. I wonder from what? Nobunaga's forces, wild Pokémon, some weird new unfound Pokémon legendary?_ I hopped with excitement. _Oh, I can't wait!_ I turned a corner. _Most of us are ready this time, Burner has been a bit easier to handle and Eon seems to be accepting me. I wonder what they will think of the new mission._ I opened a door to a private dining room.

"You're going to eat your words!" Burner said sitting atop Plantora. The room was trashed, food was thrown everywhere and the rest of the group were fighting each other.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" I yelled. Everyone stopped as the room fell eerily silent. Burner scrambled off Plantora and Platora quickly rose to attention.

"We were just playing around." Burner's words were carefully chosen. I scowled at her.

"And this "playing around" destroyed the room?"

Burner tripped over her words, "Well, yeah. She started it." Pointing a paw at Plantora.

I sighed, "Then you will all stay here until everything is cleaned up and you better hurry. I consider every minute in here part of your eating breaks so the longer you stay here, the less time you get to eat." A cry of protest filled the room. "Either that or I take away your eating breaks altogether." The protests died. Eon started using her telekinesis and, in less than a second, the entire room was pristine again.

"Can we go now?" Eon asked with a slight sharpness to her tone.

The stunning display of telekinesis dazzled me but I regained my composure and said, "Not quite yet. We have a new mission." They all perked up. I moved to the newly righted round table. The others followed, sitting in the same spots as our first meeting.

"About time we get a new mission." Burner said, "It's been months since our last."

"It's been a month." Eon stated flatly.

"Anyway," I tried to steer the conversation back to the objective, "We will be leaving first thing tomorrow morning, heading into the mountains of Cragspur. Once there, we will hide in a safe house until the operation begins. Then, we are to take and hold a bridge until the rest of our forces arrive."

"A bridge?" Current asked.

"That's it?" Bolt asked, disappointment etched into her words.

"Yes, that's all Eev gave us. I'm sure it won't be that bad. I'm sure Eev wouldn't have given us this assignment if it wasn't challenging." I tried to reassure them. "Be prepared. Like I said, we leave tomorrow morning."

* * *

We walked through the desert. Before the sun rose, the morning air was always lush and cool. Maybe not moist, but cool. The mountain range of Cragspur stood in front of us as a looming black mass. _It won't be long now until we cross the border._ The silence between us unnerved me. I tried to start a conversation, "So," I looked over the group deciding which would be best to ask, "Plantora, what was your training like?"

"My training?!" She asked with surprise. "I didn't have training."

The whole group turned on her, "What?"

"Well, you see, back then, the only training was on the battlefield."

"But then how did you manage in the fight back in Terrera?" Eon asked.

"Battles weren't always like that. Back when I joined, there was only ever a single battle and that was the battle for the castle. Even that battle was only between a max of six Pokémon on each side. I was trained through experience."

"What happened to the six Pokémon max rule?" I asked, yearning to hear how these battles became so ferocious.

"Nobunaga happened. He said that he would conquer Ransei no matter what it took. He recruited so many warriors that he began large scale raids. The Masters were losing badly so they had to counter him by following his example. The war escalated until we have the fights we have today."

We reached the foot of the mountains, "Wow, I had no idea." I said. They all looked at me funny. "What?" I asked.

"We learned that in fourth year of school." Eon stated.

"Oh," _I didn't take my fourth year!_ "I guess I just forgot."

"Eh, I forget all of my years." Bolt shrugged her shoulders.

Eon became flustered, "You shouldn't forget your schooling! There is a reason they teach the things they do!"

"Yeah, yeah," Bolt countered, "Nothing that Jolt can't teach me."

"You should really…WHAAAAAA!" Eon slipped on the slope and tumbled down. Bolt rushed to her and picked her up.

"You should really watch where you're going." She quipped. Eon's cheeks turned a deeper pink as she primly stuck her nose in the air and climbed back up to the rest of us.

"Bolt's got a point," I addressed all of them, "The mountain is starting to get steep. Watch your step." As we climbed higher, the air started to chill. We made our way to the peek and I stopped to gaze out over Cragspur. My stars sparkled around me as I took in the breathtaking view. The sun sat on the horizon, bathing the air in a crimson glow. All Cragspur was filled with mountains of various sizes. To the north, some carried snow all the way to their base. A little way to the right, I could see the road that snaked through the valley straight for the castle. The castle itself was perched on top of a hill.

"Why did you use that move?" Eon asked. I froze, _What move, I didn't use a move unless…MY STARS!_

"Uhm…it…it's not a move."

"Then what is it?" Eon asked with curiosity.

"Yeah what is it?" Burner forcefully broke in with a smile on her face.

"Well…it's just a thing that happens."

"Well that's stupid." Burner said. I felt a stab in my heart. "It's dumb just like…" Dim faced Burner and shot a Shadow Ball right in her face. Burner tumbled down the side of the cliff.

"That was a bit much." Plantora addressed Dim. Dim looked at me, his gaze piercing my icy demeanor.

"What was that for!" Burner charged up the side of the cliff. "You want to pick a fight?!" Dim turned away. Burners tail flared, "WHY YOU!"

"Be quiet." I tried to tell them.

"No! You be…" I shot an expertly aimed Ice Beam right at her mouth.

"An enemy patrol." I whispered. I peeked over the side of the mountain to see two Geodudes watching the road from further down the mountain.

"What do we do?" Plantora asked quietly as Burner melted her muzzle.

"We wait." I said. Soon, the two moved away.

"That was a close one," Plantora said, "Well, we can't stay here. Where do we go now?"

I scanned the road looking for…There it is. Close to the castle, a river ran through the mountains with a bridge crossing it. I pointed, "That's the bridge we have to defend." The rest of the group looked on.

"It's so small." Burner commented.

"It's relative," Eon stated, "Actually, it must be quite big if we can see it from all the way over here."

"So, how are we going to get there?" Plantora asked. I pulled out the map that Eev had given us from my saddle bags. I looked for the marked mountain on the map. _There! To the north of the castle, that's our safe house_. I examined the terrain from here to the safe house. Although it was difficult to see, a few boulders moved among the rocks of the mountains. _More patrols, we could dispatch them easily. However, if someone finds their unconcious bodies, then we will be discovered. We'll need to find a way around._ I looked up and down the landscape, then my gaze fell on the snowy north. I smiled.

"We will head there."

* * *

The air was so blissfully warm. I rolled around in the snow enjoying the feel as stars shone around me. "Uh, Shine?" Bolt asked. I quickly sprung to my paws as I noticed they were all staring.

"Eh, he, he," I chuckled weakly, "I guess I got a little carried away. Let's get back to the mission." I started moving down the mental pathway I had constructed.

"Do you…like the snow?" Eon asked, "I know you're an ice type but I don't really understand how that works. I guess what I am trying to say is why do you like the snow?"

I recalled Eevs words from so long ago, "A Glaceon's body temperature naturally is at negative one hundred and fifty degrees Celsius. I have to adjust my body temperature in order to survive in even these snowy conditions. I like it because the air feels so warm."

"Yeah warm." Plantora sarcastically remarked as she was shivering with ice crystals on her leaves.

"If you like this warm so much why don't you always keep your body temperature at this range?" Eon asked.

"Well, after I get my body temperature out of the negatives, it starts to get really hard to raise it anymore."

"Okay…" Eon trailed off. We effortlessly crossed the snowy terrain…well I effortlessly crossed the snowy terrain, the others had some difficulty.

"Hey, Burner?" Burner perked up, "Could you blow a Flamethrower straight ahead?"

"Is that an order?" She asked disdain spewing out of every word.

"No, but I am sure your comrades would appreciate it."

Burner looked completely puzzled, "What? How would it help them?"

"It's your choice." I offered and moved ahead of everyone. She looked around at the rest of the group then blew a mighty Flamethrower straight ahead. A clear path was melted through the snow. Everyone moved into the crevice and began walking.

Plantora was the only one who said anything, "Thanks Burner." Burner started to smile but as she noticed me looking at her, she quickly turned her head away. We traveled through the tundra. "So, Shine?" Plantora said, "You asked about my training, what was your training like?"

I sighed, "Well, Eev and I went to the kingdom of Nixitrom in the far north. I was just an Eevee at the time so the cold weather was a little harsh for me."

"But you got used to it?" Current asked.

"Sorta, I guess I evolved. After that everything felt hot."

"How can the cold weather feel hot to you?" Plantora asked.

"Because," Eon answered for me, "Her body temperature is around negative one hundred and fifty degrees. Nothing in this continent can produce something that cold. You might know that when the temperature is your exact body heat, you get extremely hot. Shine has to deal with temperatures that are over one hundred degrees above her body temperature." Burner looked surprised. _Huh, I didn't know that._ I filled it away in my memory.

"Wow, I didn't know that?" Bolt said stunned, "So, your always in agony?"

I chuckled, "I can control my exterior body temperature. So, no, I am not always in agony. But I'm never really comfortable in warmer weather." We left the snow drifts and started moving up a mountain.

"So, if I touch you, I will freeze?" Before waiting for a response, Bolt jumped over and touched me. "Not that cold." She commented. I smiled as I relaxed my heat. "OW, AW, COLD! COLD!" She quickly pulled her paw away revealing a block of ice where her hand used to be.

We all laughed together.

"So, how much further do you think we need to go?" Current asked.

I looked up at the mountain we were climbing. Birds circled at the summit. "Not too far at all. Burner, Beacon." Burner grumbled as she came to the front and fired a ball of flame upward.

"Won't the scouts notice that?" Eon asked.

"No. Because we came at the mountain from behind, the mountain will cover the fireball from all of Nobunagas forces." The birds circling overhead started to dive for us. A huge Staraptor beat his wings right in front of me. "Glaceon sent us!" I announced.

* * *

I laid in the mouth of the cave. The stars twinkled above me. The cave itself was more like a bird's nest with hay and sticks strewn about. I couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep. The mountains in the distance were blanketed in darkness and I couldn't make out anything. I heard steps. I looked back into the cave to see Burner walking up to me. She froze. "I…I was just looking for the bathroom." She stammered.

I smiled, "There is no bathroom up here. Find a rock outside the cave."

"I…I knew that." Burner said quick to defend, "I was just calling it the bathroom to get the idea across." Burner left the cave. I looked quizzical. _That was a rather intelligent line of thinking, I didn't expect that from her._

I listened for her movements. I had rather enhanced hearing thanks to Eev's training. I heard her walk off, walk around, push some boulders down the cliff and walk back to me. When she came into sight, I asked, "Feeling better?"

She stumbled, "Yeah. No. AUGH!" She punched the wall to the side of the cave then plopped down next to me. "You knew then that I wasn't going to the bathroom?"

"I could hear everything you did out there."

Burner sighed, "Can you transfer me out of the group?"

I sat stunned at the phrase, "WHAT?!"

"Not so loud." Burner whispered loudly.

I took a deep breath and calmed myself. "Okay. Why, then, do you want to transfer out?"

"Well, because…I just don't…Augh why is this so hard?!" She took another deep breath, "I don't like it here." She finally said, "And it's not just because your leader, I just feel like I don't belong. I feel like the odd one out." I was mortified at what I just heard. On one paw, I could see where she was coming from. She got hit earlier today and no one defended her. On the other, I couldn't imagine she would feel that way. Feel the same way that I once did. My stars shone around me as I tried to form a response.

"I…I think that…" I tried to think, _What could she do? What could I do? What did I do? I waited for someone to help me. Now she has come to me for help. But what do I tell her? Do I let her go? Eev gathered all of us here for a reason. I don't want to let Eev down. Why do I have to make all these hard choices?!_ "…I'll see what I can do."

"Wait, really?" Burner said surprise etched on her face.

"Yes really, but," She tensed and her surprise turned to a frown, "I won't be able to do anything from here. When we get back I will work on it. Until then, you have to promise me that you will try your best to make friends with our group. If I haven't seen you try your hardest, then I won't transfer you."

"What?!" She huffed.

"No exceptions." I replied.

"Fine." She said defeated.

"Hey, what's going on out there." A voice echoed from within the cave. I recognized it as Bolt's.

"Now is the perfect time." I stood and moved back into the cave. "Yeah, I think there is something at the entrance. Go check it out." I yelled at Bolt.

Burner stopped me, "Hey, thanks." I smiled back at her. "Sorry about the stars thing," She hesitated, "I just picked on a Eevee at school with the same thing and I guess it sorta stuck around." I froze. I couldn't think of what to say or do so I just walked off. I walked back to my sheet of ice that I was using as a bed, placed a new layer over it, and tried to close my eyes. However, a thought robbed me of sleep. _Burner is one of my bullies?!_

* * *

After a few days, we were ordered to move from the cave to the bridge. We slipped between the mountains, avoiding the high locations to prevent us from being spotted. "Dim," I asked, "Can you move ahead and knock out any scouts you find?" Dim scowled at me.

"Who's Dim?" Eon asked.

I winced, "Oops, sorry Dim." Dim just rolled his eyes and smiled, then moved into the shadows.

"Oh, so Umbreon is Dim." Eon connected, "Why was he so hesitant to give us his name?"

"I don't know." I said, "Just sorta is."

We walked a bit before Burner said, "So, how did you all get picked for this group?" I tensed for a moment. I looked around and noticed I wasn't the only one.

"Heck if I know," Plantora answered first, "Experience I guess. All I knew was that they had a job that didn't involve leading. So I took it."

"Much the same here except for the leading part." Current broke in.

"I was always around Jolt," Bolt added, "I was like his little sister. No surprise then that he asked me to join."

Eon was a little more hesitant to give a reply. "I got picked for my resounding psychic ability and intelligence."

I hesitated myself. "I was chosen because I acted like a Glaceon."

Burner turned to Bolt, "You knew Jolt?" She asked.

"Yeah I knew him." Bolt responded enthusiastically. "Whenever he wasn't away, he spent a lot of time with me. Like I said, I am like his little sister." I noticed that Eon looked odd.

"How did you come to know Jolt then?" Plantora asked.

"Ugh, well…" She hesitated, "I can't remember. Been so long and all." Now Bolt was acting funny but the others didn't seem to notice.

"What was he like?" Burner asked.

"Well," Bolt pondered for a moment, "He was awesome! He would shoot around all fast and stuff, then he would come up to me and ask 'Hey, want to learn how to do that?' He is so cool!"

I giggled, "Yes he was awesome, but what did you two do together?"

"Well…Not much actually. Jolt was always away on missions so I didn't see him often."

"That's a shame," Plantora commented, "If he was like a big brother to you then he should have been around more often."

"Yeah well…" Bolt was cut off when Dim appeared in front of us near a ledge we were headed to.

"What is it Dim?" I asked. He pointed over the ledge. I peered down to see the road. "Yeah, it's the road, what about it?" Dim rolled his eyes and pointed a little to the left. There was the bridge. What Eon said a few days ago was true, the bridge was huge. It easily spanned the length of a Gyarados and had the width of a Seviper stretched out. We climbed down the incline and moved to the bridge.

"Yeah we took it. And with no resistance, too. Woo." Current cheered.

"Awe come on!" Burner shouted, "I wanted to fight something! At least one."

"Shout like that and you're bound to bring more than just one." Eon sharply countered.

"We're not done yet." I told them, "We still need to hold this bridge until the rest of the army can arrive. That means there will be enemies coming to kick us off the bridge. Stay on guard." They all nodded.

* * *

I could hear explosions in the distance. I lay on my back, head stretched over the edge, looking down at the river. The water churned past violently, nearly reaching the bridge. _Augh, I didn't know waiting for the army would be this boring!_ I rolled back to my paws and surveyed my group. Plantora and Current were testing the river. Jolt and Burner were talking together. Dim was skulking in the shadows, watching the area. Eon sat by herself. _As good a time as any._ I moved to Eon's side. "So, you got picked because of your intelligence?" I offered.

She hit me, "Shut up. So, I was picked because of my intelligence…it just wasn't above average." She finally said.

"Then why…"

"Because of my mother, okay!" She snapped.

"Your mom?" Pictures of my own mom came to mind, "What does she have to do with you getting picked?"

She took a deep breath, "My mom is Espy."

 _WHAT?!_ Before I could vocalize, Eon muzzled me with her telekinesis. "I don't want anyone else to know, okay?" She hissed. I nodded. Slowly, she released her telekinesis.

I started grabbing the few images I had of Espy, "So, your mother is the Espeon of the ESF1. That's how you got in?"

"There was an exam I had to pass to make sure that I was a good candidate. Other than that, it was pretty much my mom who got me in."

"What was the test like?" I asked.

"Well, I'm not quite sure. My mom said that it tests the effectiveness of Espeons and their relative intelligence. From what she said, I scored much higher than average in combat abilities but not in knowledge."

"Well to be fair, you did perform much better in that fight after you became my side kick." I offered with a grin.

She hit me again and said in a playful tone, "Shut up." We giggled. Bolt came up to us with Burner flanking her.

"Hey, Burner here has something to say to you Eon." She nudged Burner to the forefront.

"Uhm…I am sorry I was rude to you before."

I smiled and said, "I'll leave you alone for this." As I got up to leave. I took Bolt with me and moved to the side.

"So, what prompted this endeavor?" I asked.

"Well, Burner was talking about how she feels a little left out so I offered to help a little. Since she had the most problems with Eon, I told her that she better apologize to Eon for being rude because that's what posh Pokémon like Eon think of. Rude, right? I thought if she made up with her she would feel less left out and…" I stuck an appendage over her mouth

"I think I get it." I interrupted, still trying to wrap my brain around everything she said. Something about Bolt nagged at me and I was prompted to ask, "By the way, how did you meet Jolt?"

Bolt tensed and her voice shook, "Like I said, I can't remember."

 _I don't really believe it._ "I don't believe you." My lips seemed to move on their own.

She chuckled mirthlessly, "Ahahahehe, aee. Well…My parents were good friends with Jolt, war buddies whatever that means. When they…died, Jolt promised them to look after me. I like to think of him as my big brother but he isn't always around anymore. It got boring so, I joined the military."

"But I thought that all Eevee's had to join the military unless they were NA on their evolution test?"

"Jolt kept me from it. Something about it being too dangerous but I wasn't going to sit in a house all day and do nothing for the rest of my life. I want to go out and do things. The military goes everywhere in Ransei, so I went into the military."

I heard laughter and looked over to see Burner and Eon smiling at each other. I grinned, "Glad they're getting along."

"Yeah, otherwise…"

The ground began to rumble. The air was filled with the sound of a distant explosion. All of us became alert. I took a head count just to make sure. _Bolt, Burner, Eon, Current, Plantora, and…_ "Where's Dim!" I shouted at the rest of them. Before any of them could respond, Dim came up to me. He gave me a scrap of paper.

"A large force is mobilizing from the castle, they are headed down this road and will reach us soon. Most of them are steel types."

 _Steel types? But this is the rock kingdom? Must be reinforcements. Whatever it is, it doesn't matter. Not now. I need to prepare. Let's think here…_ "Current, Bolt!" I barked, "You two will do normal damage so keep your attacks steady and stay on the front. Eon, Dim and Plantora won't be effective in this battle so stay back and offer support. Burner, your super effective and our best asset. Stay on the front and do as much damage as you can."

Burner smiled, "Finally, a job I'm good at."

"Dim, Plantora and Current keep watch on the west side of the bridge. Eon, Burner and Bolt stay on the east side." They moved into formation. I started to run ahead, "I will take a quick look to see what we're up against." I quickly darted down the road, not wanting to hear their protest.

* * *

After traveling down the road a ways, I moved into the cliffs around the road. Eventually, I heard marching. Ducking behind two tall spires, I waited. I could see Pokémon and Warriors marching up the road. _Definitely steel types._ Three Warriors were leading them with their partner Pokémon absent. I made a quick check of my surroundings, then used dig to get under them. I listened carefully to the ground above me. I could hear the three up front talking, "We should be attacking Illusio," The girl said, "With our might, we should be able to take that fortress."

"Key word should." A man's deep voice said.

"It would be a better use of our time father, rather than sitting on guard duty."

"Still," The same deep voice, "Look at what we're doing now. Marching off to fight Aurora. We couldn't even get our Pokémon to deploy fast enough. The fact that they can amass an army so quickly after their previous attack is truly impressive."

"Yes, it is," The lead Warrior said with a laugh, "I'd say with this power they will easily over take Nobunaga in a couple of years if not less."

"MY LORD!"

"HOW COULD YOU SAY SUCH A THING!"

"We haven't seen their force yet, for all we know it could be a fake. However, even if it is a real attack, I will still fight by Nobunaga's side until the end. That is the oath we all pledge."

The other two Warriors fell silent. _That's my que to leave._ I started digging with haste. A Dribur popped from underneath me. He struck me so hard that I was thrust out of the ground. I landed right on something metal. I looked up to see that I was laying on the armor-clad feet of the lead Warrior. We both looked at each other with equal expressions of shock. I smiled up at him. _Oh, hi._ "A GLACEON!" The female Warrior shouted. I leapt to my paws. I darted down the road as fast as my paws could carry me with a literal army at my heels.

"WAIT! STOP!" I heard one of the warriors scream behind me. I'm not sure who they are talking to but I don't really care.

"EON!" I screamed with all my might hoping she would hear me.

" _What. What's going on?"_ Relief washed over me at her telepathic response.

"I need you to set something up for me. Quickly!"


	9. Chapter 9 A Steely Surprise

Updated 6/6/2017 for a superior reading experience

* * *

I sprinted down the road with only a few Pokémon trailing behind me.

 _Eev did tell me that Steel types are slow. And to never assume anything. Ugh, why does everything have to be so complicated._

I could see the bridge now.

" _Eon,"_ I thought, _"Are you ready?"_

" _Yes, we are."_

" _Good. Then don't do it right away, the bulk of the army is lagging behind and I want to get as many as possible. Tell the others to join in the fight."_

" _I will."_

Bolt rushed past me and nailed one of the Pokémon with a Thunder Bolt. "Slow pokes," she chuckled as she darted to the side. Plantora knocked one of the enemies down with her Leaf Blade. Dim beat down on the steel types with little effect.

"Everyone on me!" I shouted as I continued to run. The three moved in to flank me.

"So, what's the plan?" Bolt asked.

"We lead them back to the bridge where we can focus our strength."

"What?! Why can't we just fight them?" Bolt protested.

"Because," Plantora answered for me, "if we were to fragment our forces, we would be weaker."  
"Not to mention our objective is not to defeat the enemy, just hold the bridge," I added.

We rushed onto the bridge as the leading edge of the enemy reached us.

We turned to face them. A Scizor was one of the first to hit us with it's X-Scissor.

We all leapt in different directions. Bolt left a trail of lightning that pelted it.

I launched an Icy Wind at him and the combined effort made the enemy fall.

More started to make their way towards us.

We separated to attack our own targets.

I backed up and examined the trickle of forces.

 _It seems too small. This can't be their main force._ I examined my surroundings. _If they try to hit us in the rear…but they wouldn't have any way to get across the river and behind us._ I checked to make sure the river was still raging. _What's their plan? What are they doing?_

I thought hard about the people I "listened in" on. _"We couldn't even get our Pokémon to deploy fast enough." They don't have their Pokémon. Their vulnerable!_ "Everyone, we need to…" A deep crunch resonated through the air.

I looked on to see the four legged metal form of a Metagross standing at the edge of the bridge with other Pokémon swarming behind it.

" _EON NOW!"_ I shouted in my mind. A red blaze engulfed the Steel types from behind.

Most of the Pokémon fell. Several Shieldon protected the Metagross from the hot flames.

In the blink of an eye, I saw a Quagsire leap out of the water and fire a Mud Shot straight at the source of the flames. Even from this far away, it hit Burner! Must have been a Warrior ability that helped make that shot.

"Current!" I yelled. Current shot from the water and tackled the Quagsire. Our biggest threat was still the Metagross and I had no idea what happened to Burner.

The Metagross charged at us with astonishing speed. No, not us. ME!

I barely managed to duck as an enormous metal claw struck the air where I was just standing.

I ran under him, launching an Ice beam at his feet. It froze his legs to the ground.

He quickly broke free as I joined up with the rest of my squad.

I saw something. I took a few steps back and I could see my idea more clearly. _That could work, "EON! I have a plan. Put me in touch with everyone."_ After a moment, I could feel a shift in my mind. _"Everyone, I have a plan. Plantora you keep the smaller Pokémon off us. Bolt, be a distraction for the Metagross. Umbreon, try to inflict as much damage as you can. Current use a Surf when I give the order."_

I rushed at the metal behemoth. He swung at me.

I shot myself under him and froze the ground as I went.

The Metagross started to slide but he rammed his claws into the ice.

 _Either way, his mobility is still lessened._

I waved to Dim. Faster than I could blink, Dim rushed in and pounded his back with several attacks. When Metagross reached up a claw to defend itself, Dim darted back into the shadows.

Bolt tried something similar, moving on the rails of the bridge and firing Thunderbolts.

Metagross's cross on his face started to glow and Bolt was enveloped in a pink aura. He violently threw Bolt around like a rag doll.

I darted as fast as I could and aimed an Ice Beam at the tip of the cross.

It shifted its attention towards me and grabbed my leg with one of its claws.

Dim flew towards us, back legs outstretched. He pounded into Metagross's side and sent us flying towards the railing.

Other than a little dazed by the surprise encounter, Metagross was unharmed. "NOW CURRENT!" I shouted.

For one terrifying second, nothing happened. Then a wave, ten times larger than the bridge, formed in front of us.

Before either of us could react, the wave crashed on top of us.

I could see the Metagross still clinging to the bridge in the water.

I lunged at his face and let my body temperature drop. It froze me to his face. An iceberg formed around me and carried us over the side of the bridge and into the river.

* * *

The mirror was the only object in the blackness.

I peered into it.

The shiny form of a bleached Eevee stared back at me. It looked scared, beaten, helpless.

 _Is…is that me?_ _I look so scared, I didn't know a Pokémon could look that scared_.

Three large Eevee's appeared in the background grinning like animals about to pounce.

I tried to shout, _look out behind you!_ But nothing came out.

I could see the Eevee mouthing the same words.

I turned my head. There, Burner stalked me.

I looked back into the mirror to see the bullies pounce and beat down on the Eevee.

I was traumatized at the sight, traumatized at the memory.

I turned to see Burner preparing to lunge.

 _No_ , I said forcefully, _This isn't me, not anymore and this isn't you anymore either_. Burner hesitated. _You're not the bully I once knew. Deep down you really care for others even if you try to hide it._ Burner stood straight with a blank expression and turned into a mist that disappeared into the void.

I turned back towards the mirror. I could see an image deep within. I tried to peer deeper but a light enveloped me, forcing me back.

I pushed against it, desperately trying to see beyond the mirror. I could see moves, my team combining moves in ways I had never imagined. The light's strength became overwhelming and I was pulled out of the dark void.

* * *

My head continued to swirl. I opened my eyes to find myself encased in a large iceberg flowing downstream.

I tried to wiggle but couldn't move. I sighed as much as I could in the ice prison as I sent my sparkling stars out in Swift.

They immediately exploded the inside of the ice cage.

I was able to climb out a hole and jump to the nearby shore. Holding my breath, I checked my ice flower. I let out a sigh of relief as I felt the perfect icy form.

I took in my surroundings. The mountains were all around me. No surprise there. When I looked downstream, however, there were open plains with tall dark grass as far as the eye could see. The whole place felt…dark.

 _That's not Cragspur._ I thought.

"Shine!" I looked down. Current was running up to me. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it so powerful." He said with genuine… concern?

"It's okay Current," I soothed, "if it were any less powerful, then I wouldn't have been able to pull Metagross over with me."

"Well, I'm glad you're okay." He said with relief. Something about his tone nagged at me.

"Is everything alright Current?"

"Everything's fine. Why do you ask Shine?"

"You're not him," I moved into a fighting stance as stars shimmered around me.

"What do you mean? I'm Current. Aw no, I messed it up."

"Leave!" I growled.

"Fine, fine I'll go." The illusion faded and the Zorua walked back the way he came. I looked on, then climbed up the river's edge.

"Shine!" I looked upstream to see Current swimming towards me. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it so powerful." He said with genuine concern? AGAIN?!

"How do I know it's really you Current?" I asked keeping my distance from him.

"The ice muzzle on Burner is a good compliment to the ice shackles you put on her the first day we met." I relaxed.

"How did you defeat the Pokémon that took out Burner?"

"Yeah, you see, about that…" He turned his head upstream. I followed his gaze and saw two eyes staring back at me. "He didn't want to fight me."

"Why not?" The eyes dove back into the water and swam upstream. My gaze followed it all the way up.

"It may have to do with my nickname."

"Your nickname? Current?" We started walking.

"No, my other nickname, The Star of the Sea."

"I assume that you wouldn't be given such a name for no reason?"

"Nope, they gave it to me for no reason." I looked at him. He looked at me. We both giggled. "There is a reason, actually a whole story behind it."

I smiled at the idea of another story, "Can you tell me?" I asked eagerly.

He nodded. "First of all, though, they don't call us Seasearcher for nothing."

* * *

I was swimming through the open ocean. Mom and dad were in front of me along with the rest of the salvage squad. My parents were the best swimmers so they led the group to our destination. An unknown light had been spotted far in the deep Southern Ocean and we were to investigate before Nobunaga showed up.

The currents were on our side. We made quick headway to the location.

Nothing appeared out of the ordinary but we combed the ground anyway. Me, Mom and Dad searched together.

 _I may not be a full adult yet but I want to search on my own_.

I kicked at the coral. The branch snapped off and fell atop a strange orb. I swam down to the orb.

"Hey, I think I found something." I yelled, alerting the entire group.

Mom and Dad rushed over immediately. I picked up the sphere. It had blue and white swirling together. It felt cold to the touch.

"That looks like something indeed," my Dad said, "We should take it back immediately."

A Huntail and a Gorebyss lunged at us.

"Nobunaga's forces!"

Dad intercepted the Gorebyss as mom tried to knock down Huntail from afar.

Mom spoke to me, "Listen Current, you have to take that to land. You can't let any other Pokémon have it. Be sure to give it to Glaceon. You have to go NOW!" She shoved me away before the Huntail bit down on me. "SWIM!" She yelled before she tackled the Huntail.

I looked away and tried to swim for shore as fast as my tail could take me.

More Pokémon emerged from the deep.

A Quagsire was rushing at me.

A Vaporeon latched on to his face. A friend. "Go!" He yelled as he engaged in close combat.

I swam as fast as I could, tears streaking down my face.

More Pokémon rushed me and more of my allies blocked them. The orb I was holding became warm.

Countless enemies started to swarm me. I continued going straight.

One blocked my way and I hoped on its head and sprang off him.

Before he could turn on me, a Dewott sliced him with his shells.

All around me my friends and allies fought the Pokémon desperately trying to lunge at me.

A Sharpedo jetted so quickly I could barely see him. In a panic, I tried to swim even faster. I could see beams of light in the corner of my vision as I was able to gain distance from the Sharpedo.

An allied Sharpedo tackled him. The two clashed, using their teeth as shields and swords.

I pressed on, swimming to shore as fast as my tail could take me. Looking down at the orb, I could see cyan beams stretch out of the orb's mist.

A horrifying roar penetrated the deep.

I looked behind me to see a Gyarados charging at me, effortlessly deflecting my ally's attacks.

I can't out run that. I have to defeat it for my friends, for my family.

I turned on a dime and the light rays of the orb grew excruciatingly brilliant. I met the Gyarados' charge at speeds that terrified me. The Gyarados launched a Hyper Beam.

I shifted to the right as the beam lanced past my ear.

I circled around the beam until I got into an optimal position.

I left the ray of light and poured all of my strength into a tackle right at his gut.

The Gyarados fell back.

Not giving any room for him to breath, I dived.

 _There's my target right underneath his jaw._

I rocketed up and struck my target.

The force of my tackle carried us out of the water and into the air.

I jumped off and prepared for one final attack. I curled my tail in to make a circle and, with the orb shining more brightly than any star, I seemed to float. The light from the orb stretched across the sea to the eyes of all my friends and enemies.

I launched a gigantic Water Gun. It knocked the Gyarados back into the sea.

* * *

"And that's how I got my nickname, Star of the Sea."

"Wow," I breathed. One question still nagged me, "What happened to the orb?"

"Oh that," Current hesitated for a second, "I sorta absorbed it."

 _WHAT?! HOW?!_

"Don't look at me, I don't know either. All I know is that one minute it was in my paws, the next it was half way through my chest, then it was gone."

I just walked straight, dumbfounded. Explosions echoed in the distance. This broke me out of my stupor as I looked on. "There's fighting at the bridge."

Current looked up, "There is?"

"Follow me."

I looked towards the ground and started tunneling my way through it. The rocky terrain didn't make it easy to dig through, but it was still better than permafrost. I dug far faster than I walked and, by the vibrations, I could tell we were nearing the fighting.

I looked behind me, "When I surface, fill this cave with as much water as you can."

He leisurely saluted, "Okay boss."

I dug my way right under one of the enemies. I put all of my strength into my attack as I launched myself upwards.

The Bastiodon didn't even see me coming as I hit it right in its belly. The force pushed him on his back and out of the way.

I leapt out of the hole as a geyser rained down upon the field.

I looked behind me to see my group battered and worn.

I smiled as I said, "Lets change this up." I relaxed my heat and let the air chill. It felt like someone was peeling away my skin as I tried to focus on collecting my heat.

Then I released it in a great pulse all at once, turning the once rocky landscape into a frozen wonderland. The Steel types all skidded on the layers of ice.

"Everyone," I yelled, "take a break and support me when you can from afar! Burner, I don't want you melting this so take a rest!" I looked on, planned my route and attacked.

The first Boldore slid towards me.

I leapt out of the way and shot an Icy Wind. His entire body became part of the icy terrain. Two Scizors flew over the ice towards me.

I weaved around their snapping pincers.

 _These guys are bug steel so none of my normal moves will be effective. I guess I have to do things tactically._

I launched myself underneath them and fired my Icy Wind in such a way that it covered both of them. One fell, its wings frozen to its back.

I didn't have the same luck with the other. He tried to help his friend but a Water Pulse landed on top of them and they fainted.

I smiled over at Current and continued. Three Lairons slid their way towards me, desperately flailing about while trying to get some traction.

I fired an ice beam at their feet, sticking them to the frozen ground.

I saw a Litwick out of the corner of my eye trying desperately to melt the ice.

 _Oh, no you don't._

I rushed over and bit him right over the head. He fell back, the fire on his head dying.

I felt a rumble at my paws. Darting to the side, an Excadrill burst from the ground where I had been.

I ran circles around her as I fired off my Swift. She tried to dig again.

I fired off an Ice Beam, effectively catching her foot.

I rushed the hole and fired another Ice Beam at her exposed belly.

"Ow!" it felt like a blade went through my side. I looked up and saw five Pawniard skating on the ice. The one skating away from me was obviously responsible for the pain.

 _They may be able to skate on the ice but their movement is still limited. I'll use that to my advantage._

I smirked as I side-stepped their passes. One tried to make another run at me. As it's blade came close to me, I stuck out a paw. His legs were swept out from under him and he landed face first on the ice. His friends rushed over to help.

I kept my distance. One of the Pawniards tried to charge me while I was distracted.

I grabbed his arms with my appendages and stared him in the eye. He was trying his best not to let his fear show.

I felt a little bad for him so I smiled a warm, comforting smile…I thought it was comforting.

Apparently, it wasn't comforting to him as he tried to head butt me with the axe on his head. I moved to the side and bit his neck with my Ice Fang.

I then picked him up with my appendages and thrust him toward his allies. A huge lightning bolt fell from the sky, striking all of them at once. I recognized it as Thunder. The rest of the forces were retreating.

I turned around and surveyed my handywork. The frozen tundra, the fallen enemies and my…friends.

I relaxed and beamed, _We won! Again!_

*BOOM*

The earth shook and I saw ice shards fly past me.

I slowly turned around to see a sphere of steel with seven red dots in a circle. The red dots flickered on and off, making pinging noises.

 _Well doesn't that seem eerily familiar._

It lifted its huge hand and I moved out of the way. It was futile to dodge. When its hand connected with the ground, the earth seemed to warp and I was caught in the field.

I was thrown back, bouncing on the ice that seemed to shatter every time that beast took a step. My group rushed to my aid.

"Alright Burner, get rid of the ice!" I shouted.

"With pleasure!" She said with feeling before bellowing a beam of flame straight at the metal beast.

The ice around us instantly started to melt away.

"Follow my lead and attack when I say."

"Got an idea?" Eon asked.

"Several actually. I just hope they work."

Pantora chuckled, "And testing them in the middle of a fight with a legendary is the best time." Sarcasm oozing from every word.

"Certainly not the worst," I countered, "just follow my lead."

I started forward. They all fell in line behind me.

"Dim to the shadows. Attack when you see openings. We'll try to make them for you."

He nodded and jumped into the rocks.

"Current use Water Gun."

He nodded as he took the lead. He launched his attack straight at the golem.

"Bolt, Thunderbolt!" Bolt charged her attack, aiming for the golem.

I grabbed her head with my appendages and forced her view to the jet of water.

"Do it there!"

Bolt didn't say anything for a moment then nodded and fired the bolts straight into the water. The beam of electrified water arced over the landscape and struck the metal giant making it seem to roar in agony.

Its head turned to us and he fired a Flash Cannon. We all dodged.

"Eon, link us with your telepathy. DISPERSE!" The six of us bolted in different directions as we came close to the giant. It became confused about which to target.

" _Plantora, attack it with your Leaf Blades."_

" _On it."_ Plantora came in close and ran circles around the golem. It lifted its steely hand into the sky.

" _Bolt, Thundershock now!"_

A wire of electricity arced out and connected with the outstretched hand. The golem was stunned for a second, enough time for Plantora to come around its back and take one big slice.

The beast whirled around and tried to stomp Plantora but she ducked out of the way.

Dim came from behind and hit its back with Assurance. He sprung off its back, and darted behind the rocks.

The beast started moving towards the bridge.

" _Burner stop it!"_

Burner rushed out front and used Flamethrower. It slammed the ground with its fists causing huge rock spires to shoot up and block the flames.

" _Burner, Eon, use Flamethrower and Psychic to guide the flames on top of his head."_

" _Now that sounds like fun!"_ Burner commented.

" _It will be difficult but I think I can manage,"_ Eon was a little more hesitant.

Burner bellowed a streak of flames right at the beast's protective wall. A faint aura enveloped the flames, guiding them over the rocks and down on the beast. A thick cloud of dust permeated the air.

" _Yeah, perfect hit!"_ Burner cheered. The metal giant rocketed out of the clouds with Iron Head right at Burner!

It moved too fast for her to dodge. She was struck, went flying and landed with a hard thud.

She didn't get up.

I tried to move to her side but Bolt was faster and carried her off the battlefield.

" _Loosen formation! Watch your guard. Current use a Water Pulse!"_

We all swarmed the creature. Current fired a ball of water. When it contacted the beast, it exploded into a wave.

I used Ice Beam, freezing all the water midair. It held the beast for a moment letting Dim and Eon get a few attacks in before breaking.

It lunged for Current and caught him with its arm. I could see the sparks of electricity arc over the beast as it charged its attack.

" _WE HAVE TO FREE HIM NOW!"_ Eon and Plantora and I tried desperately to free Current but there was nothing we could do. The creature used Zap Cannon at point blank range on Current.

The beast released him and he fell limply to the ground.

" _We need to…"_

The creature spared us no time. He lunged at Eon and used Shadow Claw.

Eon fell instantly and the psychic connection broke.

The beast quickly turned to Plantora. Plantora was expertly weaving around the metal golem not letting it land a hit. However, anyone could see that Plantora was struggling in desperation.

 _If I call a retreat, then she'll get distracted and hit. What can I do?_ Everything felt like it was falling apart. _I don't know what to do_. Tears started to form. _I…I can't lock up now. I must hold it as long as I can for Eev_. New found resolve carried me to my paws and my stars shimmered to life.

Dim rushed the beast from the shadows but he was smacked away. Bolt had returned to the fight but she was obviously fatigued.

"ON ME!" I shouted. Bolt and Dim came to my side. Plantora couldn't get out from under the metal barrage.

I rushed the golem.

I came within touching distance of the creature before I yelled, "BREAK!"

The two left me and I jumped right onto the golem. The metal surface was completely smooth. I had to form balls of ice just to stay on. The beast tried to shake me.

"NOW!" Altogether, the remainder of my group focused their attacks for several good seconds.

The golem launched forward and slammed, face first, into a rocky wall. Pain coursed through me as every part of my body screamed.

Not able to hold on, I started to slide. I plopped onto the ground with a thud. Plantora tried to come to my aid but the beast used Metal Claw on her, knocking her back. Dim came from the rocks above me, landing on the creature's head. Before he could do anything, the golem slammed him into the rocks.

Dim stayed down.

Plantora and Bolt tried to fight off the beast but they were barely dodging its attacks.

Suddenly an arc of electricity came from…EVERYWHERE! They all shot straight towards the metal giant. The giant seemed to scream as more bolts of electricity came from the shadows. Then I saw him, Jolt.

A Shadow Ball came from nowhere with Umbre right behind it, performing a Shadow Ball Assurance combo.

The green blur of Leaf came in and seemed to swarm the beast. Espy hoped down from a rock above me and used Psychic to hold down the creature. Eev came up next to her.

"How long can you hold it down."

"Not long." Espy's voice was clearly strained.

"We only need a little bit," Eev turned, "FLARE! YOUR TURN!"

Flare leapt out onto the road and launched a pillar of fire that engulfed the entire road.

Espy collapsed in front of me. "FLARE!" Eev cried.

Flare jumped out of the way. The metal behemoth came soaring out of the fire and landed right where Flare was.

Bolt came to my side and helped me to my paws. I couldn't stand on my own so she held me up. Her coat was jagged and it made it uncomfortable to brace against.

The ESF were trying their best against the beast but even they were having trouble. Even Eev seemed to be keeping her distance from it.

A wave of psychic energy slammed right into the creature. I looked at the source. A Gallade stood beside its white cloaked master and a Rhyperior stood beside its red dressed master.

"Hey," The red dressed man yelled, "Would you look at that. Its Ieyasu!"

A man walked out from behind the rocks. He was covered completely from head to toe in armor and had a long pillar of metal jetting out from his head. "Good to see you Shingen, Kenshin. I am kind of in the middle of something so if you don't mind…IRON HEAD!"

The beast turned on the two and launched itself forward. The Gallade and its master expertly dodged.

The Rhyperior tried to catch it. The beast charged right through like it wasn't even there.

Then A Forretress jumped out and caught the charging behemoth. The golem stepped back.

"Way to go Forretress!" A man cheered.

More Warriors started to come.

A tall muscular old man came to the front with a Conkeldurr. "You're really going to take that thing on Yoshihiro?" Shingen asked.

Yoshihiro laughed, "He's wounded by both the ESF's. I'm willing to gamble. Conkeldurr use Superpower!" His Pokémon rushed to the front flexing with unimaginable power and charged the beast.

"Don't think were even close to losing yet. Registeel Superpower!" The beast flexed as much as a hunk of metal could and met the charge.

The two clashed in an epic test of strength. Conkeldurr was visibly struggling before the metal golem overpowered it and sent him flying.

"Conkeldurr, no!" Yoshihiro ran after his Pokémon.

"Well that was quick," Another Warrior arrived with a large Serperior towering over him. "Ginchiyo, shall we do our trick."

A female Warrior coated in white and yellow armor walked up, "Let's do this Motonari."

"Serperior, coil!" The Serperior lunged at the behemoth and coiled around its massive form.

The beast was immobilized.

"Now Luxray! Thunder!" Ginchiyo screamed as a Luxray high above the rocks cried out and fired a beam of electricity straight into the sky. The beam fell right onto the golem and Serperior.

I watched in awe as the Serperior only took minor wounds. When the ray ceased, the Serperior leapt off the creature and slithered back to Motonari. The beast stumbled but stood.

"AWE COME ON!" Bolt mirrored my thoughts.

"Is that all you got?" Ieyasu mocked, "Come on show me your true strength. You're still missing someone."

"Sorry but I have been here the whole time."

 _Mistress!_

The Mistress walked from behind one of the rocks. "I was just making sure everything was in order. Now Eev!" I saw Eev smile as the group began to circle around the beast.

"If you think you're going to corral me so easily then I am disappointed. Registeel IRON HEAD!"

Registeel launched itself forward out of the ESF circle.

A Gallade bounced off the rocks and struck the block of metal with a Psycho Cut. The Registeel was pushed back. When it came to a stop, the ground caved in bellow it.

"REGISTEEL!" Ieyasu cried.

"NOW!" The Mistress yelled.

From all sides, from the mountain tops to the roads, Pokémon filled every crevice that I could see.

"ATTACK!"

Every single Pokémon attacked at once, creating a rainbow beam of destruction. The dazzling beam lanced from every corner, I even noticed Eev and the ESF joining in on the assault. The rainbow lasers fell onto the immobilized Registeel. After what felt like hours of the rainbow spectacle, the attacks died down.

The Registeel was still, unmoving. Not even the red lights on its face flickered.

Ieyasu walked up to Registeel and rested a hand on the creature, "At least I was right about one thing today."

The two fled.

"Rest for 30 minutes!" The Mistress shouted, "I want scouts out in a 5-meter radius and a medical tent up by the river!" She moved over to Bolt and I, "Can you walk on your own?"

Bolt nodded.

I just ducked my head.

She picked me up. "You held the bridge long enough for us to cross. You did a great job Shine. Now come on, let's get your group healed up." She carried me off towards the bridge.

* * *

The medical tent went up fast and, to my surprise, our group wasn't the only ones in here. It was filled to the brim with injured and battered Pokémon.

I was barely able to sit in one of the cots. The rest of my team was in here too but Bolt seemed to be sleeping. I felt tired but I couldn't sleep. I surveyed the room. The Mistress came up to me.

"How are you feeling?" She asked

"Okay," I lied.

She smiled and poked me in the side. I writhed in agony as I fell to my side.

"You were slammed into a wall by a block of steel. You probably crushed more than bones. Now, before you rest, I need some information. Where did the Valor soldiers come from?"

I looked up at her, fighting through the torment, "They were stationed here." I struggled to recall, "They deployed so fast that they couldn't get their Pokémon ready to attack." Every word felt like it clawed its way out of my lungs.

"Hmm," The Mistress thought, "So they were reinforcements garrisoned to counter us. That means that Ujiyasu and his army is probably protecting the castle. Most of the garrison was destroyed by our combined effort. Nobunaga would have difficulty responding unless he has something else hidden." She thought out loud, "Well you get some rest. You look like you need it."

I watched her as she left.

I sat back up despite my body's protest. When I was fully upright, the pain lessened. I watched the tent.

I heard the cries of Pokémon in deep agony, much worse off than me. At least it felt that way. The Audino rushed around the room trying their best to heal as many as they could. Some of the Pokémon stared at me. Every time I shifted, the pain returned. So I stood upright, fearing to move.

"What you did back there was reckless." Plantora walked up to me. She was partially bandaged but seemed used to the damage. "Flooding the bridge, clinging to the back of the giant. What do you think happened when you left us earlier? They attacked, and without a competent leader, we could barely hold our own."

"Sorry, I just sorta acted," I tried to hide the pain in my words.

Plantora scowled at me, "How long have you been in service?"

I tensed for a moment. _I'm technically too young to be in the military and if she finds out…hold on Snow, she isn't talking about that. Calm down._ "This is my first time."

"So, you have no experience in battle, leading or anything."

I forced the word out, "No."

She sighed, "Explains a lot, but it leaves more questions than answers. How then, did you become so effective at…everything? The fighting, the leading, everything?"

I tensed as my mind searched for answers I didn't know myself. "Uh…I don't know."

Plantora sighed, "Worth a shot."

I twitched and a deep throbbing leaked through.

As if seeing my pain, she said, "And that's why you shouldn't be so reckless." She came up to me and applied a Hyper Potion. The throbbing lessened. She started to walk away, "Next time be less reckless or others besides yourself are going to get hurt."

I collapsed. My body had reached the end of its endurance. The agony overwhelmed me and I could feel reality slipping away. A Kricketune came into the room and started to play a soft melody on the strings of its body. I surrendered to the slow peaceful melody and it seemed to carry me away from all my troubles. It carried me out of my own body as I drifted off to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10 Trapped in Darkness

Updated on 5/11/2017 Changed the objective of the mission to Yaksha.

* * *

Sunlight poured into my room. I rolled in the snow. I tensed as the warm embrace of the ice turned into the burning heat of sunshine.

"Uh, I don't want to get up." I moaned. I lazily crawled out of bed, mindful of my injuries.

I moved to the mirror, _still white._ I drooped. Bandages still covered my sides, but my wounds were beginning to fade.

I looked up at my little ice flower and patted it twice. "Glad you're still there."

Curious, I froze a small section of the floor. Bringing my mouth down close, I very carefully blew an icy wind. The small form of ice started to take shape. "That's not anything like it." I examined the rough figure of what was supposed to be an ice flower. "It's so…blocky. This little one is so smooth and detailed."

I stomped the little abomination and walked out of the room.

"HEEEEYYYYY…" Bolt leaped onto me as I exited.

"WHA…" We tumbled to the floor. "Bolt? What are you doing?" I asked.

"You're late. So, I came to get you."

"Late? Late for what?" Eev didn't give me any meetings to attend and all my trainings aren't until this afternoon.

"Late for our daily run, girl."

"Run? I…just…I didn't think it was mandatory."

"Oh, My heart…" She stepped back and exaggeratingly pressed her paws to her chest. "How can you be so cruel."

I smiled, "Like this." I walked away from her. She blinked a few times then rushed after me.

"Okay you don't have to take it so far."

I giggled, "Sorry Bolt but I'm going to have to skip this morning's run. I kinda slept in. I didn't know it was that important to you."

"Meh, it's not that important, just more fun to run with someone than alone." We walked together down to our dining room. When I opened the door, they were all chatting together. Even Burner was talking and laughing with them. _I'm so glad that Burner decided to stay with us. Even though she's a pain, I still like having her around but…_ I sat down at my spot at the table. I couldn't take my eyes off her, _she used to bully me._ _I'm still scared_. Eon and Burner were talking to each other and didn't notice my stare.

"I would have won, too, if you hadn't taken out that white piece," Burner said.

"That's what you get for focusing on making a straight line. You need to think of your enemies moves too," Eon retorted.

"What are you two talking about?" I asked, "Go?"

"Na," Burner answered, "Go is a bit too complicated for me. This other game, Irensei, is a little easier."

"Of course, you only focus on making a line rather than focusing on me." Eon said.

"It's a way to win, right?"

"You can't just ignore your enemy and hope to grasp victory."

Plantora giggled, "Ain't that the truth."

"Actually," I countered, "There are ways…" My mind raced through the strategies like cutting off supply lines, sieging and attacking territories.

"She's got the right idea." Jolt bolted into the room. "Run behind, hit supply lines, damage territory and run away."

"What about sieging?" I asked.

Bolt hopped up and down.

"Takes too long, we'd never do it." Bolt rushed out of her seat and straight to him.

"That's not what I said." Eev walked into the room.

I beamed at her presence and my stars glittered.

"I said that we would only siege as a last resort."

"Well, I am right in saying that we're never going to be sieging the next few kingdoms and that's what I meant." Jolt tried to save himself.

"Yes, that is true. Off topic," She turned to us, "I have your next orders." We all tensed. "You will head south to the kingdom of Yaksha. There, you are to search for our scouts that went missing." Dim seemed uneasy.

"A search mission?" Eon asked, "What happened to them?"

Eev said, "All of the scouts we've sent down there have disappeared. I'm not willing to continue sending scouts so they can keep disappearing. I'm sending you in. Find them and bring them back."

"Don't Eevee's go to Yaksha to train to be Umbreons? So, shouldn't we know a lot about them?" Plantora asked.

"Eevee's train in the mines under Yaksha. Never above, so we know little."

"But wait," I interrupted, "Why would Yaksha allow the enemy to train in their territory."

Jolt butted in, "That's because Kotaro is a sneaky little guy."

"That doesn't explain anything." Eev stated flatly, "Kotaro is from another region and he wants to throw our region into chaos. No one knows why, but I am sure he is allowing us to train on his territory to keep up this conflict. Now that the balance of power has shifted to our side with the capture of Cragspur, he will probably not allow us to train until Nobunaga shifts the balance again. We can't have such uncertainty for one of our critical training grounds, so it needs to be the next castle we take. Before we do that, we need information on how they fight and move. The missing scouts are our best option to get data. I assume they have been captured so keep an eye out."

I nodded, "We'll get ready right away."

* * *

We walked down the mountain onto the open planes. The tall dark grass reached up to our heads as we traveled. "This is weird grass." Plantora examined the dark green blades.

"Well, at least it will make it easier for us to hide." I commented. We kept our eyes open as we moved through the planes. Nothing stirred. _This feels too quiet…_ "Hey Dim, can you hide around us and watch for anything?" Dim nodded and disappeared into the grass.

"It's too quiet," Plantora said examining the grasses, "A nation like this would have a large standing army. So, where is it?"

"I can rush ahead and look around or I could just rush around," Bolt started running circles around us to emphasis her point.

"No, that's not a good idea," I said, "best to stick together so we don't get caught one by one."

Eon nodded.

"Hey Eon," Plantora asked, "can't you use your telepathy to sense other Pokémon in the area?"

Eon looked at her for a moment, "No I can't. My telepathy only works on Pokémon I've seen before and know the general location of. Besides, these are dark types. My psychic abilities wouldn't work on them even if I could use it."

"Well, looks like that idea is out," Plantora stated.

"We could get rid of the grass," I pondered aloud, "but that would leave a trial as we cross."

"I'd rather you not get rid of the grass," Plantora said, "I like the grass." We all looked at her. "What? It looks like old growth and I like it."

"Perhaps there is another thing we can do," I offered, "Burner," I hesitated for a moment as she looked at me.

"Yes?"

Her gaze petrified me but I forced the words out, "Uhm, can you…shoot a fire ball. Like a mortar, like the Magmortar I mean."

"Heh," she smirked, "I'll have you know that I was the best in my class for mortars. No Flareon could shoot further than me."

"What about that other one in your class?" Eon smiled as she recalled, "What was his name, Torchlit?"

Burner became flustered for a moment, "he…didn't have the same amount of power when it landed."

"I'm not sure that's what Shine is getting at," Current came to the front, "You want to shot a ball of flame, but why?"

I gulped as I looked away from Burner, "I want a fireball to be shot as far from here as possible to start a fire somewhere else. We can use the fire as a distraction to lure the enemy or to go around them."

"Smart. I like it," Current commented.

"Alright," Burner prepared her attack, "so, where do you want me to fire?"

I turned to face the east, "That way," I pointed with my paw.

Burner shot a fireball straight into the sky.

I watched as the flame arced across the sky and struck the earth miles away. The blaze was instantaneous. I could see the local trees and grass being engulfed into an ever-growing fire.

"Quickly, let's move," we ran further into Yaksha.

We moved deeper into the nation. Grass existed as far as the eye could see. The occasional tree broke the monotony. I became increasingly unnerved at the lack of…anything. With each step, I thought something was going to leap out at me. But nothing came. Further on, I could finally see a change in the scenery. It wasn't better. An ominous forest stood in our path. Shadows seemed to envelop the trees, making the whole thing look like something you'd find in a nightmare. I could see the Yaksha castle peeking out from the forest far away.

"That just screams ambush," I said.

A voice spoke from nowhere, "Then this must seem like a whisper," immediately, Pokémon and Warriors jumped out from the grass. We were surrounded.

 _What happened? I thought Dim was covering us?_

Kotaro appeared right in front of me with a Zoroark holding Dim by the leg. _Dim! How did he…Not the time, need to think of a way to get him and get away._

"What do we have here?" His voice was low, deep and kinda hard to hear, "I saw that I was going to be attacked but I didn't expect this. The half-baked team destined to be number two. Too easy." He constantly looked over his shoulder and watched the surrounding lands.

" _Hey Eon,"_ I asked in my mind.

" _Yeah, got a plan?"_

" _I know you have been practicing your teleportation these past couple of weeks. You think you can get us out of here?"_

" _I don't know. Teleporting so many at once…either way, I will need time to charge."_

" _You heard that everyone,"_ I asked the group through Eon's telepathy, _"buy time so Eon can charge her teleport._

They all nodded and moved into fighting stances.

"Well now," Kotaro said with amusement, "looks like you're not going to go quietly. Good. This should be fun."

The ambushing Pokémon lunged at us.

Current, Bolt and Burner moved into a circle around us and launched a furry of attacks. The enemy fell back, but circled us.

 _I guess they don't know that they have a time limit before we leave. Let's use that to our advantage._

I came to the front and fired off an Icy Wind. The krokoroks, scrafty and pawniards expertly jumped out of the way. I was only able to freeze the ground.

Zoroark lunged at me with an outstretched claw. Bolt and Burner were unable to stop him as it made its way straight to me.

I ducked right in the nick of time. My eyes grew wide as I saw the individual hairs on its arm. _Way too close._

Plantora quickly knocked the Zoroark away with her Leaf Blade.

The shadows rolled around us. A spirirtomb manipulated the shadows from the safety of its allies. Bolt, Current and Burner took the brunt of the Shadow Sneak, but they weren't letting a single shadow into the circle.

 _I hate having to sit here and do nothing._ I looked back to see Eon visibly strained, preparing the teleport.

A Deino fired off a powerful Dragon Pulse. Bolt countered with a Thunderbolt, canceling out the attacks.

 _But I can't fight now. I have to wait for the right moment._

" _Ready!"_ Eon shouted in our minds.

 _Time to do this._

I jumped out of our circle and tackled Kotaro. He was so surprised that he loosened his grip on Dim.

I jumped up and snatched Dim.

Zoroark didn't take too kindly to my tackle as he lunged after me.

I carried Dim back to the center of the circle.

When I made it to the circle, Eon released all of her stored energy and we were enveloped in a pinkish light.

It only lasted for a second before we were someplace else.

I looked around to see that we were next to the blaze that we started. It was enormous. The flames covered the fields and the trees as far as I could see. _I didn't think it would get this out of hand._

"Hey Eon why did you teleport us here?" I turned my head to look at Eon.

She was unconscious on the ground.

I heard shouts. I looked around to see that there were Warriors and Pokémon near the flames moving towards us.

"We'll have to fight them off, be prepared to run…"

My friends started dropping like flies. I looked to see what was going on. I saw Dim Pounding and Biting each one of my friends.

I managed to fire off an expertly aimed Ice Beam straight at Dim. It connected. Dim fell back. He started to get up, but he was enveloped by a red aura. The disguise faded as a Zoroa took the place of Dim.

I tried to give distance, but a scraggy hit me with Brick Break. I raised my front left leg to block it, heard a snap and yelped as pain coursed through my leg. The Zoroa was on me in a flash beating, scratching and biting at me. The scraggy held me back.

 _Ugh…what do I do? I can't give up yet, not now._

I released my body temperature. The nearby flames heated the air. Right now, the Zoroa's attacks were nothing compared to the scorching agony of the heat pumping off the fire. It felt like my very skin was melting off me.

Thankfully, the two Pokémon froze solid. I returned my body temperature to normal and wiggled out of the ice.

I walked up to the rest of my group.

None of them stood. All my friends lay unconscious on the ground.

 _What do I do? How do I get them all out of here? Think, Snow, think!_

Something stuck me in the back. I couldn't move. I felt nothing but pain emanating from the source of the strike.

A Zoroark came into view. All feeling left me as I seemed to float away into the abyss.

* * *

The darkness was absolute. I moved towards the only thing I recognized, a mirror. When I came up to it, there was nothing in it. Just a blank slate.

I reached out my Paw to touch it. The mirror came alive.

I watched as colors swirled through the glass. Then it focused.

The image was high in the sky. I could see all of Ransei from the picture. It shifted its focus down. I stared at the black, seemingly burned, mountains of Dragnor. The mirror gazed at the black castle for a moment before abruptly shifting south.

A voice penetrated the darkness, "it's not polite to eavesdrop."

"What do you mean eavesdrop?" I replied.

No response came. The mirror's image changed once again, this time staring at Illusio. "After this mission, why don't you take some time off."

"Time off? Why?" I asked.

No response came.

I strained to stay put as something tried to pull me back into the dark void. "Who are you?" I asked.

No response.

The mirror faded to black. I couldn't hold on any longer as I was pulled back into the nothingness.

* * *

My head felt dizzy. I could feel the warm embrace of ice against my skin. I opened my eyes hoping to see the light tan walls of my room in Cragspur. Instead, I saw dark rock walls. I looked down at the loose smattering of ice that made up my so-called bed. It looked more like some Pokémon had just used Icy Wind and didn't care to aim. My body ached and throbbed, the warm ice felt like it was helping to reduce the pain. The room was made of what looked like hearty boulders that stretched unevenly into and out of the wall. It made the whole room feel like a cave. Shadows flickered all over the room but I could spot no light source. I turned my head and saw the exit barred with metal, a lamp that was the only source of illumination and Kotaro sitting in front of some kind of board.

"Go is a fun game," he said not looking up, "but personally, I like Irensei. Go is all about two armies trying to take as much land as you can, but Irensei is about destroying the enemy before they can form." He seemed to play with himself, moving chips as he said, "attacking stray chips, flanking the enemy, and using back door methods in order to stop the enemy from achieving full strength. I like it. It encourages the creation of disorder amongst the enemy." He stopped playing, "you're going to be here a while. Get comfortable." He snickered as he got up and walked off, "Let the games begin."

* * *

My body ached too much to get up. I rested my head and slowly drifted off.

I drifted in and out of consciousness for some time. I had no way of telling time down here. Only the clattering of metal finally broke me from sleep. I looked up at my cell doors. A tall Gothitelle standing in the unlocked doorway.

"Come on Shine," the gothitelle nervously whispered.

"Who…who are you?" I asked weakly, trying to focus on the figure.

She seemed a little shocked for a second before stating, "It's me, Gothia."

I took a closer look at her, "Gothia?" A faint chuckle escaped, "You look so much different now that you've evolved," I commented.

"Now is no time for chit chat," Gothia walked to my side, "we need to leave before someone finds us." She used her Psychic to break the ice around me.

I didn't want to move. As she broke more ice, more pain fluttered back into me. I winced each time she removed a piece.

She stopped. "I didn't know…" she turned around for a second and revealed a Super Potion. "It's not much but it will get you on your paws." She applied the medicine.

Intense relief washed over me as the medicine soaked into my skin. "Thank you." I got my paws under me with a mild groan.

"Wow, take it easy. Shine do you even how badly you were hurt?"

"Bad enough to keep me in bed, but not anymore thanks to you. It's time to get out of this place."

"Reckless as ever." Gothia sighed.

I moved out of my cell. I scanned the halls, more alert than ever. There was nothing but darkness in either direction. "Hey do you know where the rest of my group is?" I whispered.

"Rest of your group?" She thought for a moment, "I only asked about you." I heard a clank down the hall. "I have to go." Gothia walked out of the cell and down one of the halls. "See you again. Don't get caught." She tossed the whisper over her shoulder and waved.

I waved back, "See you."

I looked down the opposite path. Images of a few legendary beast's lairs popped into my mind. _I'd better stay vigilant._

I didn't move. I looked behind me. _I wonder…_ I started off in the direction Gothia had gone. Pain erupted from my front left leg as it buckled. I braced myself against the wall. _So much for fighting my way out._ I shuffled down the black, empty corridor.

I turned a corner and saw Gothia. I tried to move quietly and flattened myself against the wall but I could still hear the shifting from my body. _How does Dim do this kind of stealth all day. Well for starters he wouldn't be injured,_ I mentally chuckled.

She quickly reached a room. A single lantern lit the space, flickering over the rock walls. I stayed back in the shadows. Gothia was talking with one of the guards. Their voices echoed off the walls.

"So, miss, did you manage to get anything out of the prisoner?" A Bisharp asked.

"I have given her something to think about. She will need time to process. I'm sure that she'll spill everything she knows. You just need to make sure that no one visits her for any reason. It could ruin the ruse I painstakingly crafted."

 _Heh, nice lie Gothia. Or was it a lie? Is she helping me or…no she is helping. She wouldn't have said not to let anyone visit if I wasn't breaking out and I trust her as my friend._ I smiled, _I have friends._ My mind reminisced about my life before I had friends. _WOW! Mind focus on escape! Reminisce later. Right. I can't fight in my condition so I can't get rid of the guard and I am no good at stealth. I have to go back and down the other hall._

I started to make my way back.

"Alright miss, I will do what I can to keep others out. In the meantime, you and Gracia are being transferred to Avia." I didn't hear any response, "have a nice day."

I snuck past my cell but I didn't see any Pokémon or Warrior guards anywhere. Only at that check point. I moved a little further and found a staircase leading down. It was pitch black down there.

 _Oh yeah, going down into a black pit is really my best option right now._

I favored my throbbing leg as I limped down the steps.

Once I reached the bottom, I waited for my eyes to adjust. There was barely enough light to see anything. My head swiveled back and forth as I looked down either hallway.

 _Oh great, is this going to be a maze?_ I asked. _Let's see…we'll go…right._

I moved down the hall and quickly came across a steel door. I could barely read the words written across it, "Training Storage: NO ENTRY" I tried the handle, it was locked.

 _Training storage? Eev did tell me that this place was a training ground for our Umbreons. Either way, looks like I'm going left._

I turned back and moved past the stairs into the left corridor. I ran into another door. There was no sign on it. I could see streaks of light pouring in from the corners. I took a deep breath and put my Ice appendages to the door and opened it.

"So, you finally decided to come back." I froze instantly, heart racing.

"So, what was it that drove you back here?" Another voice asked.

"Hunger?"

"Got bored?"

"Or did you get hit upside the head with reality."

I finally got a good look at who was asking me these weird questions. It was a Pokémon with two heads. Black fur like scales seemed to cover its face, eyes and neck. His body was blue with a pink belly. The Zweilous walked up to me.

"Well don't just stand there," one of the heads said.

"Come in already." The other finished.

I slowly crept my way in. _He must be blind. I remember something about Deino's, Zweilous' pre-evolution, being blind._

I examined the room. All sorts of equipment was strewn about the floor. From heavy boulders to sticks standing straight into the air. I didn't get half of what this stuff was supposed to be used for. I did notice, however, that bars hung from the ceiling and mats were placed by jump pads. This was an exercise room. Zweilous was working at a table and it didn't seem like they were paying attention to me.

I tried to walk in a straight line. I saw his ear twitch. "Your injured."

"You Umbreon's are always getting yourself into needless danger."

 _They think I'm an Umbreon? I guess I should just play along._

"Shut up you. He could be an Eevee."

"Sorry," the left apologized.

It was hard to tell who was who on that two headed Pokémon.

"So, what happened out there to get you injured?" The right asked.

 _What does Dim do? He stays silent_. I didn't reply.

"Come on, spit it out," the left head impatiently said, "stop playing Umbre."

 _Well, there goes that idea. Come on, think. What would I be doing to get injured like this. The storage room._

I lowered my voice to the deepest tone I could muster, trying to imitate a male Umbreon, "I got hurt in the storage room."

"And how did you manage to sneak past me to get to that storage room?" The right head asked

 _Think. Think stealthy thoughts._

"Uh, I waited outside this room until you left."

"That was hours ago," the left head said.

"And I waited for hours," my throat was beginning to get sore, "I covered myself in dirt so you wouldn't smell me and I didn't move because I knew you would hear me if I did."

"What did you spend your time doing for those hours?" The Zweilous' left head asked.

"P…playing with the stuff..." A bead of sweat slid down my cheek as I started to run out of things to say.

"Ugh, never go into the storage room!" The left head snapped. He threw a super potion at me, "next time I catch you, don't expect to be let off so easily."

The right head stayed silent.

I eagerly applied the medicine but it did nothing for my leg. "Thank you." I said before quickly covering my mouth.

 _I didn't mean to say that in my regular voice_.

"You're a girl?" The left head asked in confusion.

"Why don't you head out," the right head spoke, "I'm sure your dying to leave our presence Glaceon."

My heart froze. "How…how did you know?" I started to back away from him.

"I knew from the start. The only thing behind the door is storage and the detention level, specifically your cell. That and, because I don't have eyes, I can hear you better than anyone. You're footsteps are graceful and no other Pokémon here has that kind of sound when they walk."

 _Grace? Since when have my footsteps been graceful? How are they graceful? Focus! Escape!_ I started to move to the door on the other side of the room.

"We won't stop you from leaving," the right head said.

I turned to watch him, "Why not?" I asked with suspicion.

"I'm old. I pick up a few things. For starters, never attack a cornered injured animal. That's one of the lessons I teach the Umbreons here. Second reason: we aren't Warriors, we're just trainers. I…we don't want anything to do with this war," the left head stayed silent, "Now get out before someone who does care, comes marching in."

I walked up to the door on the other end of the hall. I looked back at him, "If you were ordered to capture me, would you do it?"

They didn't look up.

The left one barked, "just leave!"

The right one said, "It's a good thing that I wasn't ordered. I don't like attacking children even if they are my enemy."

"How did you know my age?"

"I'm old, I pick up a few things. That question you asked before, only the children eevee's ever ask that."

I turned to face them, "What's your name?"

They both looked shocked, "What do you care," the left head snarled, "we're the enemy."

I smiled, "You wouldn't be the first friend I have in Nobunaga's army. Just because were enemies doesn't mean we can't be friends."

The left head was completely puzzled, "wh…what?"

The right head laughed almost uncontrollably. It seemed a little creepy and I dropped my smile. Soon, he regained his composure. "Spoken like a true child. I may not be much for sides, but it isn't going to be that easy to make friends with this old coot." He got up and walked over to a pad in the middle of the room, "now what could we possibly talk about that would ever make us friends?" He asked with sarcasm oozing from every word.

A thought crossed my mind, "did you ever have a student called Dim? Dim Shade?"

"Aw yes Dim," the left one said, "that little guy would never get out of the corner."

"He was an…interesting case," the right head told me, "do you know him?"

"He is a member of my team, you know the ESF2."

The right head was lost in thought for a moment before he said, "well, he certainly deserves it with his skill. Dim always preferred to be left alone, as did most eevee's. He, in particular, seemed more distant than the rest of the eevee's of his group. Not to mention a distinct sense of honor."

"Honor?" I asked.

"I wouldn't call it that," the left one piped up, "it's more like he devoted himself to whatever he was supposed to do, even to the point of self-destruction. He only cared about performing his duty and nothing else."

"He was far more skilled at stealth than all the other eevee's, but when he evolved…" the right stopped.

"He seemed to revert to a more feral behavior," the left tried to finish.

 _Feral? You mean that odd behavior I saw that night we attacked the spies?_

"I wouldn't say he reverted to it," the right interjected, "I would say that he has always had it. That's why he is so good at stealth. I think he has been repressing it all this time."

 _I had no idea that Dim had such a thing. I guess I haven't noticed or I didn't think it was a problem._

"He seemed to repress it well so I we didn't have a problem with it," the left stated.

"How has Dim been in your group?"

I looked up at him, "Dim has been…great actually. He has been a wonderful scout and a wonderful attacker. He helped us take down multiple enemies by attacking them in the back and supporting us. He has also helped us with some…" I remembered the moment when Dim shot a shadow ball at Burner, "personal issues in the group."

The two heads just smiled, "it's good to hear that Dim is doing alright." The right said.

"That little Umbreon is doing fantastic," the left commented "I bet that he got all those skills from us." We all chuckled, "you best be heading out, before they find you."

I nodded. I got up and wobbled.

"Be careful out there. Your still injured so don't try anything reckless."

I nodded again and turned for the door. Before I opened it, I asked one last question, "hey what's your…" I turned my head and he was gone, "name…"


	11. Chapter 11 Dark Labyrinth Part 1

The relentless darkness of the corridor greeted me when I stepped out of the room. I had to pause to let my eyes adjust. I sighed and limped forward.

 _At least I don't have to brace myself against the wall anymore. That medicine really helped with the pain._

I looked up. Three different paths lead in different directions.

 _Oh great, this is going to be a maze._

I gazed down the three halls. I heard voices speaking from the path straight ahead. They were too muffled to make out. _Well, not going that way._ I spun my head left then right. _Let's see…right is always right._

I moved down the right corridor.

That idea ended abruptly as the path lead directly towards a ravine deep in the earth. I searched the rock walls for another path or a way out. Nothing but boulders lay on the shelves. There was some wooden scaffolding below, but it was too far for me to reach.

I turned back.

When I arrived back at the branching paths, I noticed that the doorways were aligned in such a way that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference no matter which direction you came from.

I sighed, _this is going to be fun,_ I sarcastically quipped to myself.

I limped straight into the left path.

The tunnel seemed to be the longest of the paths I'd traveled so far. It stretched on for ages. But eventually, I came to another three-way junction.

I facepalmed, _Nothing's simple in my life. I'm going to get lost. I'm saying it now. To the left._ I decided randomly.

The left path was short and sweet. I turned a corner and found a door that read storage. I tried the door and it was unlocked.

I pushed the door open. The room was filled with dusty boxes.

I went to the first box I saw and opened it. Inside were mechanical parts. Nothing I could use. Three more crates yielded similar results. I moved to one corner and opened a box there. It was loaded with dynamite!

 _Score!_ I cheered, _but how am I going to carry it?_ I looked around the room and saw some bags hanging on the wall by the front door.

I walked over to them. The bags were all varying sizes. I picked the smallest saddlebag for me. I loaded one side completely with explosives.

I went through the remaining boxes and picked out the most valuable items I could find. A mini pickaxe, a box of matches, some gold, some rope and a lantern. _Not a whole lot of useful stuff, but I can make do. Seems like all this stuff is for a mine. Great, I'm headed into a mine. At least there's hope for a way out._ I gathered them all and placed them in my pouch. _Better keep the lantern off if I don't want to be discovered. As long as I can see, I'll keep it off._

I left the storage room and moved back to the junction.

 _I think I'll go straight. Wait, that would be to the left from here. Ugh, I just started and I'm already getting turned around. This way._

I turned into the left corridor and made my way to an open room.

Mine carts covered the ground, some full of rock, others tipped over. Rails stretched across the floor of the room leading into two different off-shoots, one to the left and one straight ahead. An elevator sat in the middle of the room.

I took a closer look at the elevator to find that it had broken off and fallen to the bottom floor ages ago. I looked above me to see that the roof was sealed.

 _Looks like the central operating or collecting area of the mine._ I thought.

I weaved my way through the mounds of dirt and broken carts to the left opening.

There was a panel on the wall, "Heavy Equipment Storage. No Entry."

 _Lots of things have no entry signs down here. I don't think that heavy equipment storage will have anything useful for me, or an exit. Besides, I'm on the clock here._

I limped my way towards the path on the other side of the room. It looked like it stretched deeper into the mine.

Not seeing any other way to go, I pressed on.

The shaft I walked through didn't look mined out. It's true that I couldn't see any gemstones, but the hall wasn't that big. Seemed to me more like a tunnel. I found a small hole on the ground. It was just big enough for me to fit though.

I wiggled my way down the hole. It was so tight that I had to crawl down the vertical shaft and came out into a lower level of the mine. The tunnel here was far larger than the one above. This path looked like some Rhyperior went on a rampage. The walls were uneven and the ground was completely torn up.

 _Guess this is where they did most of their mining. I don't want to go down this path quite yet._

I went back the way I came.

Traveling down the small tunnel, I found many more of these holes that lead down to the lower level. I made a mental note of where they were and continued forward.

 _I don't know what I'm even going to find down here. There might be only one entrance and exit. I might just be wasting my time. Either way, I can't turn back now. I have made the decision to keep moving forward and that's what I'm going to do._

I stopped when my paws touched water. I skittered away immediately. I looked down to see the rest of the path was submerged under water.

I sighed, _might as well._ I coated my saddle bags in a sheet of ice and wadded into the water. I held my breath as I quickly became submerged.

I placed my ice appendage against the wall to help guide me through the water. _Diving and swimming aren't my strong suits, but I can still walk under water with ease._

The path came to an abrupt turn. I followed the path. The turn changed into a staircase that went up.

 _Yes, this is what I've been searching for._ I let my body temperature relax so an iceberg formed around me. It slowly carried me to the top.

When I arrived at the top of the water, I broke the ice and found myself, once again, in a dark small hall. However, this hall had several off-shoots from it.

I crept up to one of the off-shoots and peered around the corner. I saw the scouts that Eev said went missing. They were trapped behind bars with three sandiles standing guard.

 _Those are ground types, so they should be easy for me to take out, but…_

I snuck to the next path. I could see Plantora sitting in a cell with three pawniards standing watch.

I checked the rest of the cells and found all but one of my friends were still trapped in these cells. Dim wasn't present.

 _Why does everyone but me have guards? Maybe Gothia got rid of them? Maybe…escape. Focus mind. I can't get rid of the guards in my current state. So, how will I free them. Come on, think! Do I have anything that could hel…_ For a moment I stood dumbfounded. I started to smile. A vicious smile. _I have dynamite._

Filled with excitement, I rushed as quietly as I could down the hall to the water.

Once I made my way to the lower levels. I started to play with orientation, trying to find where my friends cells were directly above me.

 _Hmm…I can only do this once before the guards come running and I only have enough dynamite to blow a single hole. I struggled as I tried to pick which friend to get. Honestly, I want all of them, but…if I had to choose…Dim would be the best in this situation._ I sighed, _but Dim isn't there. I guess…next would be Bolt, since she can run so fast, she can swoop around this maze like it was nothing._

I drew a picture in my head of where I thought Bolt's cell was. I moved to the wall and tried to climb up. Ugh, _I can't get any real grip with my paws._ I then remembered and went to my bag. I pulled out the pickaxe I had collected. I slammed the axe head against the wall to help me climb.

Once I had made my way to the ceiling, I dug out a few paw-holds with the pick. I then used the pick to hammer away at the ceiling until I had several holes before me. I stuck as much of the dynamite as I could into the holes. It took nearly my entire supply.

I used the box of matches to light each individual stick. It was the most intense moment of my life. Trying to light each stick of explosives quickly while watching the time on the others burn away. It took every ounce of courage I could muster to stop myself from dropping what I was doing and hiding. My stars glowed brighter in the darkness with each one I lit.

After they were all lit, I gave in to my fear and let go of the wall. The only thought left in my head was to get away, fast. When I landed, my left leg exploded in agony. Something tells me that when you have a bad leg, you should think before you jump. I collapsed.

I turned my gaze upward at the slowly ticking bombs. _I have to move! I need to get out of here!_ I managed to gain my feet, but only wobbled a few steps before collapsing back into the dirt.

A grim laugh escaped me. A comment I made earlier played through my mind, _nothing's simple in my life._

*BOOM*

The ceiling collapsed.

I covered my face, fearing the worst.

When the dust settled, I opened my eyes. A rock touched my nose. I scrambled to my paws and looked at the boulder that had narrowly missed my head.

I couldn't stop hyperventilating, _I almost died! I almost died! I almost died!_

"Whoa…what happened?" A voice broke me from my trance.

"Bolt it's me," I responded.

"Shine?" The voice asked, "I'm not Bolt," Plantora's words echoed down the cave.

 _Oh…minor miscalculation. It doesn't matter, ones better than none._

"Plantora over here," I tried to whisper.

Plantora stumbled into view. She was slowly working her way through the rocks, "I can't see anything. It's so dark."

I held out an appendage, "just grab on." I could hear voices above the hole in the celling, "we need to move."

When Plantora ran into my appendage, she grabbed onto it.

I ran deeper into the cave as fast as my legs could carry me, hoping that Plantora could keep up. Considering I was only running on three legs, I was pretty sure that wouldn't be an issue. I darted down the hall until I spotted one of the holes in the ground. I wiggled my way into the hole. I could feel Plantora following suit.

We made our way down the tight shaft until we reached the bottom. _Oh no! This was supposed to lead to the lower levels, but it just leads to a dead end._

The shaft ended in a cramped sphere shape. When I tried to turn around, Plantora wiggled her way past me into the opening.

"What are you doing?" Plantora squealed as I tried to move around her.

"I'm trying to get around. Now hold still," pain lurched through my leg every time it grazed Plantora or the wall.

"Stop it," we both wiggled, trying to get around each other.

A thud silenced us both. We lay still in an uncomfortable tangle in the hole. I could hear someone walking above us.

"About time one of them broke out," a deep voice spoke, "I was beginning to get bored."

"But lord Kotaro," another person asked, "why would you want them to escape? If Nobunaga finds out…"

"Then it's a good thing that Nobunaga doesn't actually know they're here. I'll report to him that I've captured these eevee's once I've had my fun with them. Come now Zoroark, it's time to play Irensei."

I heard nothing after that. Knowing how quiet Dim's paw steps were, I would believe that Kotaro was walking the same way.

A whisper came from bellow me, "all right, now can you get your paw out of my face."

"Sorry," I apologized as I lifted my paw up.

I slowly climbed the small shaft and peered out.

The hall was empty and black. I pulled myself out of the hole silently with Plantora close behind.

I heard a whisper, "Your leg is busted again, isn't it?"

I lifted my wounded leg, shielding it from her gaze, "we can't worry about it now."

We moved down the hall until I found what I was looking for in the first place, another small shaft leading down.

I wiggled down and Plantora followed me. We dropped down to the lower level.

"So, is this the path you were trying to lead us to?" Plantora asked in a whisper.

"Yeah, didn't know there were holes that lead to dead ends."

"What were those holes anyway?"

I looked around to see that the walls and floor were blasted away in some kind of rough sphere, "I believe they were chutes to drop explosives."

"Speaking of which," Plantora asked in hushed tones, "do you have any more?"

"Yes," I replied in the same tone, "but I used most of them on freeing you. We need to move," I started scanning, "they will be on us quickly."

We darted forward. I stuck to the wall as we moved towards, what I thought, was right below the central operating center. Plantora copied my every movement, except my limp.

 _My bad leg is beginning to get annoying._

I could see a door. I stopped myself from running to it. I looked from side to side. Two more paths jetted out in each direction. The right seemed calm and still. I felt a breeze coming from the left.

 _Why is it always left? If there is a breeze then it must be an exit…or…_

"They most likely came down here," a voice whispered from the left.

 _We need to move, we need to move, we need to move, now, now, now!_ My mind was in a panic as I rocketed forward towards the door. In my panic, I put weight on my bad leg. I heard crunching and pure vicious agony swept through my body. My legs gave and I flopped on the ground. The pain was so intense that it was all I could think of. I couldn't feel anything, I couldn't see anything, I was stuck in an endless loop of torture before the pain gradually slipped away with everything else.

* * *

I floated in a soothing lake of calm. I didn't want to surface, but the need was becoming more urgent. My eyes fluttered open. Plantora stood atop me doing something with green light. I tried to rise but she forced me down with a paw.

"Don't worry," her silky voice greeted me, "I will have you decently patched up. You still won't be able to run, but we can manage."

I looked to the side. A sandile was unconscious next to me and Plantora seemed to be using a Giga-drain on the sandile to me.

"How are you able to do that? How do you use Giga-drain on some Pokémon other than yourself?"

"It's not something any Pokémon can do," she stated, "Leaf taught me how."

 _Leaf? You mean the Leaf of the ESF? Wait, I guess it is ESF1. Why are these military terms so confusing?_

"It was difficult, even with Leaf's instruction, but I managed to understand it right before I joined you guys."

"Yea for us," I silently cheered.

"Yeah well, I can't fix your leg. This Giga-drain is just like a combat medic, it's not an audino. You can't walk on that leg of yours, let alone run, and no amount of Giga-drain will fix that."

"Boo, us."

"You act so childish sometimes," she stifled a giggle.

I smiled.

"Come on," she got up, "we should be heading out." I started to get up before she halted me, "no. You get on my back."

"No, I don't need to. I can walk." I expertly sat up without putting any weight on my front leg.

"We don't have time to argue. Get on my back or I will knock you out and carry you." Her words were so stern they left no room for protest.

I ducked my head and climbed onto her back, just barely able to fit my body. My legs dangled helplessly from her sides. She seemed to grit her teeth. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing, I just forgot how cold you are. Now, where to next."

I scanned the room. I forgot that we were in a layer below the central mining center, or whatever you call it. The room was littered with minecarts that provided excellent line of sight protection. The elevator shaft went through this room and deeper. Nothing else of value was in sight. Everything was dusty, rusty and old.

"Over there," I pointed, "head for the elevator and take the path down."

We walked over to the shaft and looked down. "Do you know how hard it will be to climb down there?"

I reached into my bags and pulled out my pickaxe. "I can help you climb down."

We made our way down. I had to lock my legs together to stay on Plantora's back. I could see that Plantora was straining.

When we got to the bottom, a small room, only the dusty remains of the elevator greeted us. I swiveled my head to see four halls jetting out from the four walls of the room. These halls were different than the ones above. They were completely black. I could not see a single thing beyond that darkness. I could feel my gut lurch just staring into the hall.

"What now?" Plantora asked, "which path do we take."

I looked around, thought for a moment, then picked, "that one." I pointed towards the hall right in front of us.

Plantora moved without saying a word, but her dragging paws said everything.

We made our way into the dark corridor. I couldn't see anything. Not even my paw in front of my face. I was terrified. I looked back to see the small illuminated room of the elevator shaft. None of that light penetrated this deep. To prevent myself from panicking, I focused my eyes on that room. The room grew smaller and smaller the further we walked until it was just a small blip in a sea of darkness.

"Stop," I finally said closing my eyes, "just stop here."

Plantora felt her way to a wall and set me down on the hot stones, "I think we're safe here for now."

I lay my head back on the jagged warm stone. With the safety, my mind couldn't stop thinking. "I'm sorry," I tried to apologize, "I should have been more vigilant, I should have been able to stop them, I should…" tears started to well, "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Plantora tried to sooth, "you did all you could."

"I should have known they would have some kind of trick. I shouldn't have sent Dim alone. I shouldn't…" I sobbed, stars shining in the dark, "maybe I shouldn't be leader."

I felt a surge of pain and a loud thud as Plantora slapped me. "You think you have a choice to be leader?" Anger in every word, "Well, guess what? You don't. You're the leader of this group and you have to deal with it. Pokémon are counting on you and you can't just give up on them because you don't want to."

Her words shocked me.

"Now get off your sorry butt and lead."

I started to consider her words when I felt a chill run down my spine. I examined the black. Then, I saw them. A pair of red eyes. Blood red eyes. Eyes with the intent to kill. My volume increased with each word, "Run, run, run! Run! RUN!"

Plantora scooped me up and dashed down the blackened hall towards the illuminated elevator shaft.

I watched in horror as the deep crimson eyes came closer and closer.

I let out an Icy Wind on the ground…I think it was the ground.

"Ow, that's my tail!" Plantora shouted back at me.

"Sorry," this time I fired straight at the eyes. They shifted to the left for a moment but were back on us in a second.

 _How do I stop him? He is like a predator chasing us down. But what if…_ I smiled at the thought, _what if we became the predator?_

I leapt off Plantora's back and tackled where I thought his body was. He was so surprised that he didn't even try to defend himself.

I pinned him with ease.

"Ow, my back," I heard Plantora walk up to me, "first my tail, then my back. Are you trying to hurt me?"

I grinned sheepishly, "sorry."

He struggled beneath me. "Stop this Dim," I tried to reach out, "you need to get a hold of yourself. It's us, your friends."

He paused for a moment, then lunged at me with his teeth, aiming for my neck. I instinctively stepped back.

Dim took the opportunity and darted his way back into the shadows.

When I tried to search for him, the darkness seemed to engulf everything. I couldn't see him, but I heard and felt him. _I guess this is what Zweilous feels like every day. Not seeing sucks._

I heard a bang, a tap, then a crash. I looked behind me to the illuminated elevator shaft to see two figures.

"For crying out loud, you can't walk on walls. Ninjas don't defy logic." Another figure entered the elevator room.

I whispered to Plantora, "we need to go."

Plantora scooped me onto her back and carried me silently into the darkness.

I watched again as the only source of illumination slowly grew smaller and smaller. A feeling of dread passing over me with each step. I turned my head to the side and noticed a slightly darker patch of darkness.

"That way," I whispered into Plantora's ear.

She turned and moved into the darker path. Plantora placed me down to rest.

I heard a muffled noise further down the path. I got up and limped silently towards the source.

The terrain became uneven as I delved deeper into the darkness. It was disorienting not to have anything to see, but even more so not having stable ground to walk on. I nearly fell on my face multiple times.

My ears twitched furiously, trying to pick up the source of the noise. After limping and stumbling through the dark, I finally found the source huddled up in the corner.

All I could hear was quiet sobbing.

"Dim," I said. The sobbing stopped, "Dim, it's me. It's alright." Not a sound returned, "please Dim, we need you."

"Leave me alone," a voice croaked.

 _Did…did Dim just talk?!_ "Dim, I can't do that. I think we both know what will happen if I do." _He'll be left down here. I don't want that._

His voice was shaky, "I don't want…I hurt you. Because of me, you got captured. If I didn't lose control, I would have noticed. Then, just now, I…I wanted to…kill you. I don't want to hurt you. I didn't want you to get stuck down here. I don't want to kill you." He started sobbing again.

I stepped back, _Kill me! She wanted to kill me back there!_ My encounter with the Zweilous flashed in my mind, _"He seemed to revert to a more feral behavior…He seemed to repress it well." So that's it, his feral behavior was the reason he would do such a thing._

I could still hear Dims soft weeping in front of me.

I thought back to when I had once come home to my mom, crying from the bullies at school. I did the only thing that would help.

I pulled him in tight. I stroked his neck like my mother once did for me. He wailed, tears wetting my fur as I embraced him.

We sat there for what seemed like hours. I heard scuffling in the distance but paid it no mind.

His wailing turned a soft sobs, then sniffling.

"Feeling better?" I asked in the softest tone I could muster.

I could feel the slow shake of a head against my fur.

"Then we need to move. The enemy is coming for us."

I felt him slowly pull away.

"What do you mean coming?" Kotaro's low voice reverberated against the wall. My hair stood on end, "we're already here."

I felt a rush of wind. Dim had leapt into the darkness. I could hear a commotion, but the darkness robbed me of the sight.

I tried to get up. Once again, my leg warned me not to fight. Instead of standing, I sat up. Frustration welled up inside me, _I hate not being able to do anything._ The longer I stayed sitting, the more my aggravation grew, until I couldn't handle it any more.

"I'm tired of doing nothing!" I fired the strongest Icy Wind I could muster, putting all of my irritation behind it. The frozen wind encapsulated the entire hall and froze everything it touched.

Everything became still. Unnervingly still. I slowly backed up before a paw touched my side. I yelped and jumped back.

"It's okay," Dim replied, "its me."

I relaxed, "What happened to Kotaro?"

"Oh, I'm still here," Kotaro's soft voice spoke, "just didn't make a perfect dodge. Why aren't you running?"

"Running, why would we be running?" I asked.

"Because," his sinister chucked put me on edge, "Zoroark is about to break the ice."

 _Oh…_ "Well, got to run." I limped as fast as I could in the direction of Plantora. Unfortunately, that was the direction of my Icy Wind.

I stopped limping when I reached the ice that covered the floor, "Dim, come here," I demanded in a panic. Dim touched my side to signal his arrival. "I need you to carry me, it will be faster." Dim lifted me onto his back. I could feel him struggle to bear my weight. Dim had a lighter frame than anyone else in our squad. Carrying me was going to be a problem. "Now, run onto the ice. Once you're on the ice, don't try to walk or move, just let it carry you."

Dim followed my instructions, taking a few steps back then charging for the ice, leaping onto it. Dim tensed as we landed and skated on the ice. We moved without stopping, traveling at an even pace until we reached the end of the sheet.

Once the ice shifted to dirt, Dim tripped and sent me flying. I landed, thankfully on my right side.

Dim tried to rush to my aid.

"Dim, find Plantora," I ordered, "she might be in the ice somewhere. Don't worry about me."

Silence filled the void once again. I lay on the ground, my body aching from the impact. I held my left leg protectively. An annoyed voice protruded from the silence.

"Is it just hurt Plantora day or something?"

 _Today is definitely a bad day_.


	12. Chapter 12 Dark Labyrinth Part 2

We sprinted back towards the elevator shaft. Dim took the lead, ensuring that we wouldn't get lost. Because of my leg, I had to be on Plantora's back.

I looked ahead. The halls were still pitch black with the elevator shaft being the only source of illumination. I could see two guards. I was unnerved at the cracking of ice behind us.

Dim rushed ahead and took down one of the guards. The other guard quickly dodged out of the way, making a beautiful opening.

Plantora and I rushed past Dim as he fought the other guard. Together, we reached the elevator shaft in the middle of the room. All that was left were two metal beams that reached up.

"I can climb by myself. Go help Dim." And if I couldn't climb by myself, I was going to explode. _I won't be a useless member even if I'm injured._

I froze my ice appendages and paws to the blaring hot steel. Using this method, I easily walked up the steel.

I was half way up the shaft when I saw a blur of black and tan fly past me.

I saw a face pop over the edge above me, "You coming Slowpoke?"

I smiled and picked up the pace. I climbed over the edge into the room below the main control hub. _I should really find a way to name these rooms._

Dim pointed to the opposite side of the room from where Plantora and I had entered before.

We walked over to the pathway, "Are you sure about this?" Plantora asked.

A deep thud resonated through the elevator shaft.

"Doesn't matter," I said in a panic, "we've got to move!"

Plantora lifted me onto her back and we followed Dim to the path.

The deep cave stretched on for ages. I could hear the clattering of footsteps far behind us. _They must've come out of the elevator, but which path will they pick? From what I saw, there were three different paths in that room. If one, or all of them, goes down the wrong path…wait. They know that Dim is with us. So, they know that we know the layout of this place. They wouldn't take any dead-end routes. That would mean they have more forces to spare…_ My mind ran wild trying to piece together the enemy's movements.

Eventually, we came upon a room. The path continued straight, but Dim directed us to the side. A small ladder rested in the wall leading down. We moved down the ladder as Dim threw a smoke bomb down the path we didn't traverse.

The ladder guided us to a room even smaller than the one above. All this room had in it were a few rotting wood planks.

"It smells disgusting down here," Plantora commented, "so what do we do now?"

"We free everyone else. If we head back up to the first floor, we can break everyone out like I broke you out."

"I'm not sure our friends would like your warm welcome." Plantora quipped.

"Is there a way we can get back up to the first floor?" I asked Dim

Dim walked down a passage on our left while we trailed behind.

We quickly arrived at the end of the tunnel and stepped up to the edge of the underground ravine. The colossal chasm seemed to stretch on forever. I looked over the edge and could see the bottom way below me.

I gulped, _Not going to be falling down there_.

I heard the creak of wood over my head. Slowly, I looked up to see a second wooden platform above us. The creaking continued across the wooden path.

Dim started to climb the walls. Then, seemingly effortlessly, he climbed onto the bottom of the wooden planks and hung upside down above me.

 _No fair_.

I watched as he followed the creaking without making any noise.

In less than the blink of an eye, he darted to the edge of the planks and disappeared above.

For a moment scuffling filled the air, then silence.

Dim returned carrying a Pokémon and a warrior. He dropped them before us then went back up for another pair.

"They unconscious?" I asked.

Dim nodded.

"Good, so we have taken out our pursuers. What now?"

Dim pointed up.

"How do we go up?" I asked, "Plantora and I don't have your freaky ceiling running trick."

He rolled his eyes and pointed to the opposite side of the ravine. There, another wooden path jutted out from the rocks and lead to a wooden staircase to the level above.

"Alright, Plantora?" Plantora turned to face me on her back, "you think you can make that jump?"

"Not in a million years and especially not with you on my back."

I sighed, "Alright, I will make an ice bridge. Dim you destroy the bridge after we cross so Kotaro won't know we've come through here."

Dim nodded.

"Hold up," Plantora said, "I'm no good with ice and your telling me to run on it?"

All I said was, "Yep," and gave her a huge smile.

"And here I thought you weren't capable…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing! Nothing," she quickly tried to redirect.

I used Ice Beam to make a path across the chasm.

Plantora gingerly stepped across the ice, shivering every time her paw struck the bridge.

Once we made it across, Dim used a Shadow Ball to shatter the bridge.

We climbed up the stairs and repeated the process until we made it to the top. We walked down the passage we found there.

Soon we found ourselves back at a three-way junction.

 _I remember this place. This is where I came out from the training room with that two headed Pokémon. His room is right to the left over there._ The door was closed.

Dim pointed straight ahead.

I stared at the door for a moment, hoping that the Zweilous would pop out.

He didn't.

I followed Dim down the path I once traversed.

We came across the next junction, but this one had guards.

Dim rushed ahead, as silent as the night, and incapacitated each guard before they knew what hit them.

Dim pressed on.

"Wait," I whispered. I looked to the left, down the path to the storage room. "This way," I directed Plantora towards the storage room with Dim in tow.

When we opened the door, I saw several strong Pokémon and warriors waiting for us.

On instinct, I blew an Icy Wind at them.

It had little effect, but the wind bounced off the wall and came back for another strike. Then it bounced off again, and again.

I quickly closed the door. _That's a new one._

After a long moment, Plantora peeked inside, "Well, it worked, whatever you did."

Plantora opened the door the rest of the way. A blissfully warm breeze greeted me. Plantora shook uncontrollably. Inside the room, everything was frozen solid.

I pointed to a corner where an open box sat, "That is where I got the dynamite."

Plantora hesitated, "You know…why don't you get the dynamite Dim?"

Dim shook his head.

"Awe come on Dim, your better at dealing with the cold than I am. Take one for the team."

 _I wanta go. I wanta go play in the cold._

Dim shook his head once again.

"I'll go," _Please let me go._

"No," Plantora said with Dim's head shake, "knowing you, you will just play in the ice and we would have to go in after you. Dim, why don't you go before she does."

Dim finally nodded and entered the freezer.

 _No fair. I would enjoy it. Why couldn't I go._ I started sulking to myself on Plantora's back.

Dim returned with several sticks of dynamite, but they were all frozen solid.

"Darn," I tried to think of a way to melt the ice.

"Couldn't you just melt the ice?" Plantora asked.

"Well, I could if it was all one single substance. Since its comprised of the casing and the explosive, I would be adding heat at two different rates and if the explosive heats up faster…"

"Then boom. So, what else can we do?"

"You can warm them up with your body heat," I offered to Plantora.

"Wait what?! You know I'm no good with ice!"

"Well, Dim can't be weighed down and all I'll do is make the ice worse."

"But…" Plantora was at a loss, "but ice!"

"Well, it's either that or use this lantern I found." I pulled a lantern from my saddle bags. I thought out loud as I stared intently at the possible heat source, "I don't know about you, but I don't like the idea of having an open flame so close to explosives."

I looked back to see a scowl on Plantora's face, "Are you doing this on purpose?" She asked with an edge.

 _What is she talking about?_ "Doing what on purpose?"

Plantora turned away, "Nothing. I've just been around too many immature Pokémon. This is what needs to be done."

"Great," I got off Plantora and took off my saddle bags, mindful of my leg, "you'll need these." I dropped the two bags on her back.

"Although I could be wrong," I heard through gritted teeth.

While Dim gathered the explosives and Plantora put on the saddle bags, I moved to the corner. I gazed beyond it to see the junction that we had come from. I saw seven figures stopping at the junction.

I raised my right paw to signal to the others to be quiet. The rustling behind me instantly stopped.

The figures spoke, "Where do you think they've gone?"

"I don't know, this place is like a maze."

"Either way we have to keep searching," this voice had a familiar resonance that almost made me reveal my position, "do you remember how to get around?"

One figure nodded and pointed to the path straight ahead from my line of sight.

"What about that way?" One asked as they pointed straight at me.

"That's just a storage shed. Why would any Pokémon want to go there?"

"Let's go, we can't dabble," that familiar tone hit me again as the seven figures disappeared into the path ahead.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

I turned around to see Dim practically pinning Plantora, "What is going on here?" I whispered.

Plantora smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, I didn't see your signal."

Dim slowly got off Plantora and went back to gathering the explosives.

Soon, Plantora's bags were bursting with dynamite.

Plantora signaled for me to climb onto her back.

I shook my head side to side, "We're not running anymore. I can manage a trot through the halls on my own. Besides, your overloaded as it is.

"Oh please," Plantora playfully retorted, "never underestimate the strength of plants."

I smiled.

We moved our way back to the junction.

 _I'd rather not follow that large dangerous group. So, left it is then._

We turned left and entered the large central operations room for the mine. Didn't I call it something else? Whatever.

I heard shuffling and looked down the elevator shaft.

 _I don't see anything out of the ordinary but wow, have we come a long way. Definitely feels like I've come full circle._ I looked over to the left side of the room. _I wonder…_

I found the left path and traveled right up to heavy equipment storage. I tried the door, it was locked. I decided to head back and search for Dim in the main room. I turned my head to see both Plantora and Dim behind me.

I jumped, "I didn't know you were behind me this whole time."

"Why would we leave?" Plantora asked.

"I just…I don't know. Can you open this door?"

Dim took one look at the metal door and before I could see anything, the door popped open, handle falling off.

"That was cool. I didn't know you could do that," Plantora said.

I smiled and asked, "Night Shade right?"

Dim smiled and made a little bow.

I turned back to the door and went through.

The equipment room felt more like a scrap pile. Broken down machinery lay in a heap. Rusted carts and tracks were scattered along with rotten wood. I could taste the thick scent of copper in the air.

I gaged on the taste and covered my nose.

"This place is disgusting," Plantora gave a similar reaction, "we should head back."

"We…should…stay," I hesitated.

"What?! Why?"

"Because, that shaft back there is a prime intersection. If we go back, we'll surely be found."

"That's why we keep moving," Plantora said.

"No, we need to hide until the explosives melt. This will be perfect since no one will ever come to this disgusting place." _Despite how much I don't want to be here. Seriously, this stench is going to make me puke. I have to stay strong, if we are going to get out._

"Fine," Plantora sighed, "then at least allow me to make the air less fowl."

"Fowl?" I asked

Plantora closed the door and released a blinding ball of light into the room. It took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust to the sudden change in light. Plantora gestured for us to come close. I moved closer and the once rank copper tang turned into the lush smell of fresh leaves. The air was so clean and pure that I lost myself for a moment.

"Uh, Shine?"

I snapped to attention. Both Plantora and Dim were staring at me. I could feel my cheeks cool in embarrassment, "I…I think that will do."

Plantora smiled and pulled out the explosives, "This will also help these thaw."

"That's Sunny Day right?"

"Yep. The only way I can perform Photosynthesis down here."

I looked over at the door. "Hey Dim," Dim turned to face me, "can you bar the door and cover the sides so no light leaks through to the other side?"

Dim nodded and started moving the rusted equipment.

I sat down next to Plantora and let out a long deep sigh.

"Long day?" Plantora asked, amused.

"Day's not over and it already feels like it lasted way to long. What about you?" I asked

"I'm still going strong. I would say that I have two more days of this left in me."

I was appalled, "T…Two days?!"

"You haven't fought in too many battles. Often, front line troops fight for days with little to no sleep. I think the max I've been on the front lines fighting would be about five days. Most of the time without sleep, would have been on that same battle. Only getting about 11 hours for the entirety of the five-day fight."

I was in awe, "How did you manage to stay awake through it all?"

"I didn't. Towards the end, I was half asleep."

"What battle was that?" I asked.

"The first and only battle for Illusio. Nobunaga was gearing up for his largest assault ever and he planned to push into Illusio."

"But, isn't Illusio an impenetrable fortress?"

"This was still pretty early in the war so it was before Illusio became known as a fortress. In fact, it was this battle where it gained it's reputation."

A worried tone entered my voice, "Do you think that we'll ever be in such a fight?"

"Probably not. Being a strike force, we'll usually be in and out in a flash. Anything can happen though."

We fell silent. Dim finished blocking the door and sat next to us.

Plantora faced Dim and asked, "So…you can talk?"

He nodded.

"Then why don't you."

"Umbre trained me not to."

We were both taken back for a moment, "But, why would Umbre train you not to talk?"

"She told me in order to remain undetected, I have to make no sound and that sometimes the best words are the ones never said."

"Umbre's a girl?" I asked.

He nodded.

 _Didn't know that or didn't remember. Augh, stuff like this is so confusing._

"She sounds wise," Plantora commented.

Dim nodded.

I looked down at the icy explosives and watched as it slowly melted. Millimeter by millimeter. "How long is this going to take."

"You're the one who blasted the room with that Icy Wind. It's your fault we're waiting here."

"I know." I sighed. After an agonizing amount of time watching ice melt, the explosives were finally ready to use.

"Alright," I said, "let's head out…" my voice trailed off as I faced the door.

The entire heap of rusted scrap metal now barred the door. Dim smiled sheepishly.

I face-pawed.

After taking far too long to remove the metal and having copper assault my nose and mouth again, we made our way out of the equipment storage.

I have never been happier to get out of a room in my life. Plantora and I waited for our eyes to adjust.

"So," Plantora asked in a whisper, "Do you like the darkness or the light?"

I smiled, "Darkness. It reminds me of the blizzards back in Nixitrom. The limited visibility, how objects fade away into nothingness. The only thing that's missing is the searing cold and the harsh winds."

"Wow. Glad I haven't been through that."

"You've been through a lot though; wouldn't you be able handle it?"

"I can handle fighting for days, but there are somethings I just can't deal with. Like the cold." Plantora's body shivered at the thought.

When our eyes fully adjusted, we made our way back to the central shaft and down to the hall where I had used explosives on Plantora's cell. Rocks still lay crumbled on the floor, but guards were stationed all over the hall.

I whispered orders, "Plantora, you deal with the enemy in front of us. Dim you cover the rear. I'll plant the explosives."

"Why you? Dim's the one who can walk on ceilings," Plantora protested.

"Dim needs to cover the rear, and besides, I got you out on my own didn't I?"

Plantora rolled her eyes as I took the saddle bag of explosives off her.

"Get me close to that wall," I pointed to the spot that I thought Current's cell was.

We rushed ahead. Plantora used her Leaf Blade to slice up the nearest guard and get into position.

I moved to the side of the room. I jabbed my ice appendages into the wall and used them to climb up to the ceiling. I could hear the shuffling of battle below me as I dug out holes and planted the explosives. This time I had enough to line the entire corridor. It took quite a bit of time to plant every single stick and then shuffle to the next spot down the corridor.

I thought about lighting the fuses, _I can't get to them all in time. If I light one it will take too long to get to the end. But Dim can do it fast._

"Dim!" I shouted.

He materialized on the ceiling in front of me.

I lit a match and handed it to him.

He nodded and ran down the ceiling lighting every fuse that stuck out from the rock.

I held my fear back and climbed down. Plantora was busy with the guards. I ran over to one of the holes in the ground and took cover.

*BOOM*

The floor and ceiling shook as the hall collapsed. As the cave settled, I tried to get out. Two massive boulders covered the hole but there was a slit in between them too small for me to fit through.

"Shine?!" Plantora frantically shouted.

"I'm here!" I responded.

I saw Plantora's face come into view between the rocks. "Oh, my goodness, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm in one of the vertical shafts that lead to the lower level. I want you to guide everyone down to the elevator shaft and have them climb their way down to meet up with me." I pulled off my saddlebags, "You might need these. There is some rope in there you can use."

A pink aura enveloped the sack and lifted it between the two rocks. I smiled as I say Eon step into view.

"Be safe." I turned and started climbing down the shaft. _I hope they get through alright. I know they're a powerful group but they might get hurt, run into Kotaro, not make it in time…_

I was so lost in thought that I didn't even think about climbing. I just flowed down the pipe on instinct. When I came out the hole, however, I wasn't thinking about the fact that I was on the ceiling and I ended up landing flat on my face.

Fortunately, I landed on a soft pillow. "Ow," I rubbed the side of my head as I gazed at the new tunnel.

Then stopped, _This is a mine why would there be…_ I looked down to see I was laying on top of Zoroark. He stared at me in disbelief. Beyond him, the ESF1 stared in disbelief. I stared in disbelief, mouth working silently.

Then I heard Kotaro bust up laughing, "I never thought I'd ever have someone get the drop on me or Zoroark. Literally. For that you have my respect, but we are still enemies. Zoroark, don't let them regroup."

Zoroark tried to grab me, but I launched myself off his back.

An attack hit him in the back and he had to turn his attention back to the ESF1. Wait what?!

 _When did they get here?_

"This is getting annoying," Kotaro muttered, "work your magic Zoroark." A weird aura protruded outward from Zoroark.

I tried to dodge it but failed. When I opened my eyes, Eev, along with her group, stood in between the Zoroark and I.

"Go, we'll handle Kotaro," Eev said not looking back at me.

"But,"

Eev cut in, "Go. Go save your friends."

I nodded and started running. A slimy tongue jetted out from the darkness and wrapped itself around my neck. It pulled me back.

"No," Eev said, "fight it. You must get away. You're in no condition to fight."

I pushed against the slimy sticky tongue. Then I was hit upside the head and blacked out.

"That was a bit excessive."

My eyes fluttered open. I saw myself surrounded by Eev and ESF1.

"Well it broke the illusion, didn't it?" Flare stated flatly.

"And potently caused brain damage," Espy responded wryly, "I thought we agreed to never smack some Pokémon upside the head with a rock as a method to break illusions."

"Sorry Flare, but we did have an agreement."

Flare huffed.

"W…what are you doing here?" I asked in a daze.

"We're here to get you guys out of here." Leaf jokingly responded.

"And would you look at the progress we've made," Vapor said, "if our luck keeps up, we can just sit here and the rest will drop in our laps."

I got to my paws, still wary of my broken leg.

"Your leg is broken. Again," Eev's monotone snapped my head up.

"Only a little. Nothing an Audino can't fix."

Jolt, Flare and Vapor exploded in laughter, "That's exactly what you said when you had your ribs broken, Eev." Jolt heaved.

"It's like a mirror." Vapor quipped.

Eev and I blushed in unison.

"Alright, alright, there's a time and a place for that. Now's not it." Eev tried to calm them down. "Shine, can you run?"

"I can sorta run."

"Sorta is not enough. Espy," Espy moved to the front, "can you carry her?"

"She'll be a piece of cake."

I was lifted in a telekinetic aura. I spotted the form of Zoroark laying on the ground behind the group. _Must have taken him out while I was in the illusion._

"Do you know where everyone else is?" Eev asked.

"They're right above us. They're coming down here through the elevator shaft."

Eev nodded to Jolt and Jolt whizzed over to the elevator faster than I could see.

"Let's move," Eev ordered.

We barreled down the hall, catching up with Jolt at the elevator.

I could see light flickering from the shaft. I could only assume that it was from a struggle.

When we arrived, Eev asked, "Is everyone present?"

I looked up the shaft to see all my friends climbing down along with the scouts. Enemy soldiers were in hot pursuit. Some of them were even sticking to the walls like Dim.

Plantora was the first to respond, "I did a head count. Don't know how many scouts there were supposed to be."

Espy responded, "18 total."

"Then we're all here."

"Then let's turn the tide of this battle. Clear a path." Eev ordered the group.

I was set aside gently as the group lunged into the fray.

I frowned. _I'm not some fragile thing to be tossed aside. I can still fight._

I climbed into the elevator shaft using my appendages as added braces against the wall. The ESF1 were darting across the walls with such grace it astounded me. Soon a path opened.

I was far below my squad but I was still within earshot, "That's our opening!" I shouted to them, "Let's hurry!"

The ground rumbled. I could barely make out the fire from explosions high above me. Then the roof collapsed. Boulders the size of Rhyperior's fell towards us faster than I could think.

"DROP!" was all I could muster as I leapt off the wall.

Everyone followed my lead.

Jolt, Bolt, Dim, Umbre, Eon and Espy were able to catch everyone and safely carry them to the second floor of the central control room. Everyone except me. I was too far down for them to reach me in time. I tried to cover myself in ice in some vain hope that it would help the landing.

I fell to the bottom of the elevator shaft with a thud, ice shattering instantly. With my quick thinking, I managed to blow an Icy Wind that propelled me to the wall of the room.

Boulders crushed the remains of the elevator and sealed me in total darkness.

Everything became still. I lay on the ground, not moving since I smacked the wall. After a few moments of utter silence, I took the longest, deepest, most exaggerated breath that I have ever taken in my entire life.

"I just want this day to end."

"If that is your wish…" a deep voice filled the darkness. I felt a presence unlike any other. My earlier encounter with Dim paled in comparison. It felt like the very black was squeezing every fiber of my being.

I spoke into the empty void, "W…who are you?" fear etched in every word. _I can barely stand and now I have this new threat? I don't know what to do, I…how do I fight something like this?_

The darkness spoke slowly, "I am not your enemy."

 _What?_ Now confusion took hold.

"I can see that you have been marked by my master. I will help you just this once."

 _Marked by the master? What is he talking about?_

"But," the sharpness in his tone pushed all other thoughts aside, "don't think of me as a friend. I hate the master and I reluctantly follow his orders. I'm an ally for now."

I could feel myself slowly rise.

"What do you want?"

Everything about this terrified me. _I can't lock up now. I have to stay strong for everyone._

I pushed past everything and said, "I want you to take me and all of the Aurorean troops from this place and put us where Eev thinks we'll be safe." I was very careful with my word choice.

The boulders in the elevator shaft were blasted into oblivion. Light shined into the small room. I had to shield my eyes. After they adjusted, I scanned the room looking for the source of the voice. I couldn't see anything. Then I remembered, _I'm not touching the ground_.

I slowly looked below me. I was lying in a flowing bed of pure white mist. Beneath the bed, was the blackened form of a human with no legs. Streaks of pure darkness flowed and coalesced around the form.

It moved forward into the elevator shaft. The dark form didn't hesitate as it moved up the tube, picking up all of my friends in an odd telekinesis. I smiled and waved at their astonished expressions.

We reached the ceiling with all my friends in tow. Kotaro sat at the edge of the elevator shaft peering up at us, smiling.

A Dark Pulse lanced out at us. The creature immediately reacted with a Dark Pulse of his own. The difference in power was immense. It was like the original Dark Pulse didn't even exist as the creature's attack drove itself back to the attacker.

The ceiling above us exploded, again. This time it exploded up, rather than down at us, thanks to another one of the creatures Dark Pulse.

The light pouring in was so bright I was blinded. I could feel the rush of wind through my fur and smell salt in the air. I could also feel the excruciating pain that filled my body. I was too worn out to really care and none of this pain was new to me.

When I could finally see again, I looked out at the ocean. We were moving fast. I was able to glance behind me and see the kingdom of Yaksha fading into the distance.

We stopped suddenly. I had to hold on for dear life or risk being thrown off. The creature lowered all of us down onto a Gyarados.

The beast floated in front of me, "Don't expect me to give any more favors," it said before flying out of sight.

Eev's slow voice questioned, "Uh…Shine? What was that?"

I turned to look at Eev, not bothering to hide my fatigue, "I don't care anymore."

* * *

For the first time in what felt like forever, I was wrapped up in bliss. I lay on my side with my legs stretched out and an audino using her heavenly healing powers.

"I can't heal you completely. Sorry, but you will need a real doctor. I'm just a medic."

I didn't care. I just enjoyed the wonderful sensation before the audino pulled her power away.

"I need to make sure that the others are alright," the audino said before walking off.

I sat up and surveyed where I was for the first time since I got here. I was riding atop a Gyarados and this wasn't the only one. A full armada of Pokémon and Warriors traveled across the sea. I could see Empoleon, Simipour, Quagsire, Dewott and Vaporeons all across the formation. I could even see Staraptors riding on the back of some of the other Gyarados. It was a stunning display.

"Beautiful view, isn't it?" I looked behind me and immediately goggled at the sight.

"M-Master?"

He smiled gently at me, "Welcome to my Armada."

"Your-Your Armada?" I remembered something about this in class. How the Master is a naval commander, "what are you doing here?"

"We're here to pick you guys up."

I drooped _There here because of my mistake._

"Everyone makes mistakes," he said, "but how we learn from them, is what really matters."

I looked up at him.

"And our friends can help us get back on our feet."

He moved away, revealing my group and Eev's group huddled around. The audino treating some injuries and Plantora recounting our experiences in the tunnels.

I smiled as I got up and limped over to them.

"I had just finished healing her," Plantora came into ear shot, "and she insists that she's fine like nothing's wrong."

"I didn't say that," I interjected, "I said I could walk."

"And you couldn't even do that. I had to carry you."

"You only carried me because you wouldn't let me walk!"

"You would have been able to walk if you didn't break your leg!"

"I'll try not to break my leg next time!"

"Good!"

We all laughed together.

"Glad to hear that you two got along," Leaf said, "and I'm glad that you taught Shine well." She looked at Eev with a sly smile.

"What can I say," Eev spoke flustered, "I only teach my best attributes."

Eev's group chuckled.

"Enemy spotted!" an Espeon yelled from behind us.

We all jumped to alert.

"We stayed here for too long," I heard the Master say before turning to the Espeon communicator, "where?!"

"23 degrees south from east. There heading straight for us."

I looked towards the specified direction. At first, I couldn't see anything but the tip of Yaksha. A moment later, I could barely see several small things sticking out from the water.

"Gyarados'." Current said

"And several, from the look of it," Vapor added.

"We can't get clear fast enough before they bring their Gyarados' to bear," the master mumbled to himself. "All units!" He shouted, "to formation! We'll hit the vanguard head on! Turn!"

The unified mass of Pokémon and Warriors came alive as everything shifted towards the south east.

"Gyarados' prepare to fire! I need three staraptors on the command Gyarados." The master walked up to us. "Sorry Shine, but your group is going back to the mainland."

I didn't have much to complain. I was absolutely exhausted.

"What!" I heard Burner yell.

"You especially shouldn't be in this fight," the Master countered, "You're a fire type and everyone here is some kind of water type."

Burner grumbled sourly.  
Three staraptors, with Warriors on their backs, landed on our Gyarados along with a Dragonite. The Master got onto the back of the Dragonite, "Take the ESF2 to Illusio." One of the Warriors saluted, "FC, get on. We're about to engage."

The frontline communications Espeon, got onto the back of the Dragonite and they flew to the front of the armada.

"Come on," one of the warriors spoke to me, "we need to get going before enemy air power becomes a problem."

I nodded, "alright everyone, let's get on."

We paired up on the backs of the staraptors. The ESF1 waved us goodbye as we rose high into the sky and flew towards the mainland.

I turned to watch the navy. One second, it was calm. Then, beams of red power blasted from our lines and flew across the sea. They struck home around the enemy lines. I saw return fire from Nobunaga's forces, equal in magnitude.

The battle was raging on but it slowly grew fainter as we made our way towards the mainland.


	13. Chapter 13 Blooming Flowers

"This is great!" I shouted as I exited the hospital.

"I think you're getting too used to the infirmary," Plantora came up to me.

I blushed as I rubbed my new cast, "Ehehe, that's not what I meant. Illusio is wonderful and I'm just happy to finally be able to relax…without needing medical attention."

Plantora chuckled, "I will admit, there is nothing like relaxing after a hard battle. Seriously though, you shouldn't be getting hurt like that."

"Actually, it's not all my fault."

"What do you mean?"

"Because my body is so cold, my bones become brittle. So it takes less to break them."

"Huh," Plantora said, "didn't think about it that way."

I smiled, _I don't really care too much about myself anyway. As long as I can be of help to you, Eev._ I gently patted the little ice flower behind my ear.

We walked outside. Once again, I marveled at the floating islands. The entire sky was full of them: some big, some small and some with structures on them. None, however, were more magnificent than the huge island in the center. The Illusio castle, held up by those pink rocks, was a floating centerpiece over the city below. Its ornate designs, slanted roofs and many flags made this structure stand out from the rest. It was truly a sight to behold.

We moved onto a floating platform. It magically levitated us from the hospital over to the Illusio castle. I watched the ground as we moved. The yellow and red leaves of fall made the ground a stunning display of colors. I couldn't take my eyes off the beautiful spectacle.

When the platform arrived at the castle, we stepped inside.

The interior of the castle was just as extravagant. Pink crystals lined the surface, so intricately woven into the wood of the walls that you couldn't distinguish where one began and the other ended. "It's so pretty here," I gaped.

"That's Illusio for you. Most everyone calls it the jewel of Ransei."

We continued walking over to our quarters. Even down here, the beauty followed us. Pink columns dotted the walls separating the rooms. Even though they were made of crystals, the patterns from the wall continued their way onto the pillars.

We stopped at a pair of double doors.

"It's her fault!" I heard Burner's muffled yelling.

Plantora and I burst into the room.

Burner was in the center of the room, visibly flaring. Eon and Bolt stood in her way. Dim was on the ground right behind the two.

"It's her fault that we failed!" Burner yelled.

"Stop saying that!" Eon yelled back, "Your just as much at fault as she is!"

"Shut up you princess wanabe!"

"Stop you two!" I said as Plantora and I raced to defuse the situation. Plantora rushed to subdue Bolt and Eon while I jumped in front of Burner. In hindsight, that wasn't the best idea I've ever had.

"I'm tired of you people constantly getting in my way!" Burner barreled past me.

I latched onto her, trying to hold her back. She smacked the side of my head and I was thrown against the ground.

I quickly got up, but the world suddenly froze for me as tiny shards of glass began raining down my face.

 _No_ …

I lifted a paw to my ice flower. Nothing.

 _No, no, no…_

I gazed at the miniscule shards of ice that quickly liquified on the ground.

 _No… Please_ …

I frantically gathered them up. I blew a slow cold breeze, trying to reform the flower.

 _Please…Please work,_ I begged, _please work._

Everything became blurry as I blew and blew to no avail. The malformed wreck would never turn into Eev's beautiful flower.

A paw rested on my shoulder, "Ah, Shine?" I looked up at Current as I felt Ice and tears streak down my face. Everyone was watching me.

 _Stop it! Go away!_

I smacked her paw away, gathered as many ice shards as I could and ran out of the room.

 _I'm sorry Eev_.

* * *

I stood in Burners way, with Bolt by my side. She was visibly flaring. "It's her fault that we failed!" Burner yelled.

"Stop saying that!" I yelled back, "Your just as much at fault as she is!"

"Shut Up you princess wanabe!"

"Stop you two!" Plantora moved in front of me as I saw Shine try to cool Burner down.

I watched Shine get smacked on the side of the head and Burner powered towards us.

"You can't just do that to Shine!" I violently protested.

"Oh yeah?! Who's going to stop me!" Burner cried out, "You?! Them?! If anything, I should…"

A light sniffle filled the air. That one sound silenced us all as we looked for the source. Shine sat in a semi-fetal position blowing ice crystals at the ground. Current, who was watching from the corner, came up to Shine and put a paw on her.

"Ah, Shine?" Shine turned to face us and I noticed the tears.

Shine ran out of the room.

"Way to go, coal for brains," Plantora smacked Burner.

"What even happened?" Burner asked, clearly puzzled. More confused than angry now.

I walked over to the little sheet of ice on the ground left by Shine.

"If she couldn't take that little tap, then why is she here?" Burner continued.

I reached down and telekinetically lifted a malformed block of ice. "It wasn't about you hitting her," I said, "you hit and destroyed her little ice flower." I showed the block of ice to them. If you turned your head just right, you could see that the wreck was supposed to be a flower.

"You mean that thing she always has behind her ear?" Bolt asked, "Didn't see that as a flower, but now that I look back…"

"I didn't know she had something like that behind her ear," Burner said lamely.

We all stared at her, "What?" Burner snapped, irritated and bewildered.

"And I thought I was oblivious," Current muttered.

"Anyway," I tried to steer the conversation to what was important, "This flower must have meant a lot to Shine if she had such a violent reaction to it being busted."

"Well if I recall," Plantora spoke, deep in thought, "she always had it on her. Even in the mines of the previous operation."

"I've never seen her without it," Bolt jumped in.

"Can't we just get her a new one and be done with this?" Burner asked annoyed.

"Do you know of any ice types that can form this kinda flower?" I asked, arcing an eyebrow.

"N…No," Burner finally said.

"So," I continued without missing a beat, "you have to go and apologize."

"What?" Burner nearly shouted.

All eyes fell on her with varying levels of contempt in them.

Finally, Burner broke down, "Alright, alright," she stormed past us, "but don't think this means anything." Burner walked out of the room and we followed.

With Burner in the lead, we came up to Shine's room. The air was bone chilling. I shook uncontrollably as Burner opened the door. A wave of freezing air lunged at us. The cold nearly froze me solid and I was instantly numb. I put up a telekinetic barrier to stop the continuous onslaught of frozen death.

Inside, every surface was covered with a thick layer of ice. The twisted shapes of what looked like ice flowers littered the ground like discarded trash. Soft weeping floated on the frigid air.

Before any of us could say something, Shine spoke, not seeming to register our entry, "I'm sorry Eev." Her words were filled with such despair that it shook me to the core.

I slowly closed the door with my telekinesis and motioned for everyone to walk away. Heavy silence filled the hall as we shuffled off, not meeting each other's eyes. The echo of Shine's words, filled with weeping, drove me to action, "Okay, we need to find a replacement. Does anyone know of a place we can find ice types?"

"Yeah," Plantora said, "there should be a mountain near here full of them."

"Then we'll start there," I said as I marched down the hall.

* * *

"Sorry, no ice types here," the Kadabra said standing on one foot atop the tip of the summit.

"But…but," I stammered, "this is a frozen summit, shouldn't there be at least one ice type?"

"You want ice types, then head north. This is the psychic kingdom, not the ice kingdom."

I stood frustrated as Plantora spoke, "Actually, what we want is to make this block of ice look like a flower. Do you think you can help?"

Kadabra levitated the flower-like abomination and examined it, "Well, this is the most detailed ice piece I've ever seen."

"That's detailed?" Bolt and Burner sang in disbelief.

"It is. Even though it looks nothing like a flower, it's still the best try I've seen in a long time."

"Is it hard to make a flower like that?" I asked.

"Extraordinarily so," the kadabra said, eager to impart his wisdom, "you see, most Pokémon focus on one of two styles, grace or combat. Pokémon of combat devote every fiber of their being to fighting and Pokémon of grace devote their time to elegance in what they do. Often, Pokémon of grace are hired to craft the castles and build other structures. Unfortunately, in this day and age, Pokémon of combat are needed much more than that of grace. Even before Dragnor and Aurora rose to power, combat Pokémon have been in higher demand. Pokémon of grace are rather rare and, in order to make a reasonable looking flower, you need to find an ice type of grace. To make a detailed flower, you would need some Pokémon who mastered the art of grace. Now, could you tell me who made such a beautiful piece."

"Shine made it," Bolt rushed to answer.

"Who?" Kadabra looked puzzled.

"Shiny Snow," I added, "she had a very detailed one that looked completely smooth and small. It broke and now we're trying to find a replacement."

"You mean that leader of the ESF2? Well she did her best, but she won't get a detailed smooth flower until she's had a couple more years of grace training. As for a replacement..." he thought for a long moment, "I do not know of anyone capable of making what you're asking. There is not a single Pokémon I know that has mastered the art of grace. It's a dying art in this world of war."

"Do you at least know the best place to look?" Plantora sounded defeated.

"The best place would be in the ice kingdom up north. That's probably the only place you'd find anything."

I nodded, "Thank you for your time."

He smiled and nodded back, "Always happy to impart my knowledge to the young."

We walked down the mountain. Current spoke first, "So, how do we get to the ice kingdom?"

"We'll have to find a way," I said, refusing to give up, "my teleportation doesn't go that far, so that's out."

"Can't we just fly there in a blimp?" Burner asked in an annoyed tone.

I shot back, "Oh yeah, why didn't I think of that? Flying a huge unarmed blimp right into the heart of enemy territory."

"Hey," Burner's tail flared, "I didn't know it was enemy territory."

Current doused Burners tail in water, "Simmer down. Don't let her bother you."

Burner just looked away from us.

"Current, isn't there any way for us to cross the sea?" I asked.

Current started thinking out loud, "we could catch a convoy if they are docked here, or I could call my friends if they're in the area, or…," Current seemed to trail off for a second, "or I can make a bubble for all of us to walk on the sea floor."

"You…you can do that? That's so awesome!" Bolt hopped and shouted.

"It's not that great," Current blushed.

"Can you hold up the bubble all the way to the ice kingdom?" Plantora asked.

"Yeah, I can," he spoke hesitantly.

"Well if you can do it," I said, "then let's try it out."

* * *

We were walking on the sea floor. Current was holding up all the water around us. I examined the water around us and could see faint glimpses of undersea Pokémon watching us.

Some weird light reflected off the water and into my eyes. After I rubbed away the blindness, I searched for the source. I noticed blue rays of light emanating from Current.

"So, what kind of move is this Current?" Bolt asked.

"Oh, this," Current seemed to hesitate for a second, "this isn't a move. It's more of a thing I can do."

"Thing I can do?" I asked with an edge, _How am I supposed to understand that?_

"Well…" he hesitated again, "this power is from an orb that I have."

"Can I see it?!" Bolt rushed to Currents side.

Current turned toward us. I took a closer look and saw the light emanating from a glowing patch on Current's chest.

"I absorbed the orb…somehow. Now I can use it's power whenever I feel like it."

"Where did you get the orb?" Burner asked.

"I found it on the sea floor in one of my sea searching missions. It was just lying on the ground and I picked it up."

"Really!" Bolt said, "So I can just go run around and find a powerful orb that will make me run faster!" Bolt excitedly ran around the bubbled space. I couldn't even make out her blur.

"I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen." Plantora said, "If there was an orb like that, they would have already found it…"

Pokémon smashed into and through the bubble. Several Sealeo and Lapras landed on the sea floor as the holes they splashed through sealed.

The Lapras in front stood tall and spoke, "What is your business in Nobunaga's waters?" It seemed like he was ready to pounce at any second.

Plantora spoke first with such smoothness it shocked me, "We mean no harm. We are merely searching for a way to help a friend."

"Oh?" the Lapras remained stern, "and what way will you help your friend?"

"We're searching for an ice type who mastered Grace," Plantora responded.

"Why do you want an ice type who mastered grace?"

Current spoke with the same lazy tone he gave us, "Because this little hothead broke our friend's precious icicle flower."

Lapras seemed to relax, "There is no ice type Pokémon in our kingdom that has mastered Grace."

"Not a single one?" Burner asked with such frailty it stunned me.

"No. I myself am proficient in Grace but I'm still far from mastering. All the other Pokémon however, are warriors and only care about Combat. It's a dying art."

We all drooped.

"Do you at least know where we can find one?" Current asked.

The Lapras closely examined Current, "You're the Star of the Sea, aren't you?"

Current nodded.

Lapras looked each of us straight in the eye before speaking, "I'm only doing this once in acknowledgment of your skill, Star of the Sea. There is a legendary bird in Nixtrom. It's older than any Pokémon. If any ice type has mastered Grace, it would be that bird."

"Won't you get in trouble for saying this?" I asked.

Lapras smiled, "I'm sure my master, Mitsuhide, won't mind. As long as I accompany you to make sure you don't do anything naughty."

The last words had a certain edge to them that unnerved me.

* * *

Cold. Freezing down to the bone. We all climbed our way up the mountain with Lapras in the lead. Saying it was difficult for us to follow would have been an understatement. Even though it was just fall, the mountain felt like it was winter. We were all huddled around Burner to keep warm, but even with Burner's heat, it was unbearable.

"Shine…said that…she used to do this…every day," Plantora said through chattering teeth. She was taking the worst of it. I could see little icicles hanging off her leaves.

"I feel like I'm going to keel over from just one of these ventures," Bolt shook violently, "and Shine ran every day in this cold."

I wanted to say, _"She probably got used to the cold,"_ but with each step I took, it felt like someone was hammering a spike into my skull. I simply couldn't think. All of my attention was focused on moving forward.

"Just be glad it's not winter," Lapras quipped, "in a few more months, these mountains will be covered in snow storms."

We found our way to a cave entrance. We were able to rest and warm up, thanks to Burner. My splitting headache eased and I was finally able to think straight.

"The Legendary bird is deeper in this cave," Lapras said, "I will go no further."

I turned to Lapras, "Thank you for your guidance."

Lapras smiled, "I merely showed you the way, now you must face the legend. That is the great challenge of this journey."

I nodded, not really understanding what he meant. "Let's go," I ordered, "deeper into the cave."

The frozen ice cave stretched on for some time before we came to a cavern opening.

The cavern wasn't vast like I expected. It stretched only a few meters or so wide. What the chamber lacked in width, it made up for in length. The room extended straight, leading towards a perch at the end. Everything felt dark, even the ice. However, right above the perch, a pure blue icicle radiated dazzling light. Underneath this spectacle, a huge bird slept. Despite the frozen room, it was actually refreshingly cool.

We slowly made our way towards the creature.

I put my paw down and the ice cracked. The crack crawled its way up the wall making a thunderous pop.

Piercing eyes snapped open. Its talons scraped ice as it gained its feet. Wings opened and it propelled itself to us with controlled strokes.

It bellowed with such might, I felt like I was being thrown backwards, "Who dares enter my chamber and wake me from my slumber!"

I shivered as it felt like the air itself was freezing over, "We didn't mean to wake you," I tried to say, "we just wanted to ask a favor."

"A favor!" It bellowed in irritation, "I am not your 'buddy'. I will do you no favors."

"Please," Plantora said, "it's not for us." Plantora then kicked Burner to the front.

"Its…um," Burner hesitated, "for a friend that I…um…accidently hurt..."

The bird cut in, "I said, I would do you no favors. However, if you can show me your strength in combat, I might acknowledge your skill with a gift."

"Combat?" Plantora asked.

"Yeah, let's do it!" Bolt and Burner cheered in unison.

"I've gotta make up for the last legendary fight," Bolt said with eagerness.

I nodded, "Then we will fight."

The bird smiled, "I will let you have the first move."

I used Light Screen and we were all enveloped in a reflective mirror.

The bird wasted no time after that, launching a powerful Icy Wind. We were all thrown back. Not much damage was taken though.

I used my telepathy to connect us all, _"Burner try to stay in front of it, keep its attention. Everyone else try to hit it whenever you can." I'm not good at making up plans_.

Burner rushed to the front and bellowed a gale of flames right at the bird, effectively grabbing his full attention. I prepared my Psybeam.

Bolt came from behind and fired off a Thunderbolt. It recoiled as the electricity flowed through its body. Dim struck a moment later with assurance.

In an instant, he was back on his feet as if nothing happened. He turned to face Bolt. Dim was already back in the shadows.

I fired my Psybeam. Plantora came in under the beast and nailed its feet with Leaf Blade.

The bird didn't seem phased by our attacks. He stared at us with an intensity that I couldn't fathom. Then I felt it. _It's using Mind Reader! "Everyone be careful, it can read our moves!"_

The great bird turned on Bolt and fired an Ice Beam. Bolt tried to dodge but the bird was reading Bolt's mind. He was caught in the beam and thrown back.

The legend wasted no time as it turned to Plantora and I. It flapped it's wings once and we were engulfed in a shower of icicle shards.

I could barely hold on. The physical attacks pummeled me far more than the Icy Wind had. I tried to use telekinesis to swipe them away, but more kept coming.

When the barrage finally ended, I watched in horror as the bird took to the skies, and the room was submerged in icy chaos. With every flap of the bird's wings, it fired a new Blizzard at us.

I could barely hold on. The onslaught would have taken us all out if it wasn't for my Light Screen.

Burner was the only one able to counter. She hurled a ball of fire straight up at the bird.

It worked for only a second. The legend had to focus its storm on the fire ball to stop it from connecting.

Bolt rushed in, but Dim moved ahead of her. Dim fired off a hypnotic ray and the mighty bird became confused. Dim then let out an ear-piercing Screech and nodded to Bolt.

Bolt nodded back and ran up the walls to meet up with Dim. I noticed electrical sparks on her paws as Bolt climbed.

Dim then grabbed hold of Bolt's paw and threw her straight at the confused bird.

Bolt landed on his back and used Thunder Fang.

Electrical sparks enveloped the beast as it let out a blood curdling cry.

" _This is our moment,"_ Plantora shouted in our minds.

Burner fired her Flamethrower and I launched my Psybeam. Current also followed up with a Water Pulse.

They all connected and the beast was thrown from the sky and landed in a heap.

The legend got back to its feet and let out a cry that chilled me to the bone.

It flapped its wings three times. With each mighty flap, the room's temperature plummeted. Numbness took over and I could no longer feel anything. By the third flap it looked like even the ice had frozen over.

 _No fair_ , I was barely able to think. _Shear Cold_ , I collapsed.

* * *

I floated in a dreamless world. A chill filled the air and pulled me back to reality. I opened my eyes to see Burner holding a light flame close to me. I felt warm but was a little too disoriented to get up. I lay on the ground in a daze before my senses slammed into me like a raging tyranitar. Sensations of blazing hot swirled with freezing cold. Pain, anxiety, fear and realization mixed together. My body moved on its own as the sudden return of overpowering feelings made me jump.

I fell flat on my face as freezing air started to engulf me. I curled up and shivered.

Burner came over, "Come on, will you hold still?" She returned her delightfully pleasant flame.

"What's…going…on?" I asked through the confusion. _Last thing I remember was being struck by Shear Cold._

"We were hit by Shear Cold," Burner said, "But we're all still here and we're all still fine…well, mostly fine." Burner seemed to look beyond me but I couldn't turn myself to see.

After a moment of just embracing Burners warm flame, I finally found the energy to stand up and examine our group. Bolt was missing, Plantora was down but Current was dousing her in water. I looked around the room. Everything was pristine, like a battle had never been fought here. The bird was standing and watching us, aloof.

When we made eye contact, the bird spoke, "Your strength is enough for me to ask, what is it you seek here?"

I tried to respond, but my motor control hadn't entirely returned. It hurt to talk. "Burner," I croaked out.

Burner just sighed and walked up to the great bird, "I accidently broke something very precious to my friend. I'm wondering if you can make a new one?"

"And what is this thing you broke?"

"It's a little ice flower thing," Burner tried to grab at her memory.

"Just an ice flower?" The majestic bird looked puzzled before retuning to his icy demeanor, "I see no harm in accepting your request."

Cold frozen air enveloped the ground and ice formed. Three small stems sprouted and grew. They budded, then opened as if it was a living plant.

"Thanks!" Burner said as she snapped one of the ice flowers off. It melted faster than any of us could register.

The bird just laughed, "You can't just pick one of these things. There is very little ice so you have to keep them cold. If not, they will melt instantly."

Burner let out a frustrated, "What?"

"Well, I have to get going," the bird said flapping its wings, "winter's coming and I need to prepare for it."

Articuno left.

"Wait! Come back here!" Burner yelled after the bird, "How are we supposed to bring these back with us!" She sighed and turned to us, "Got any ideas?"

I was completely stumped…but then again, I was just coming out of hypothermia.

"I think I could carry it," Current said, "I know Ice Beam. I can probably pick it up if I use it."

"Well, give it a try," Bolt said startling everyone.

"Where did you come from?" I asked.

"The door," she responded simply.

I raised an eyebrow.

"What? How else was I supposed to dodge that attack?"

I rolled my eyes, "Just do it Current."

Current came up to one of the ice flowers and used Ice Beam on her paw. He winced as the ice formed. He then used his ice covered paw to pick up one of the flowers and freeze it to his paw.

After a moment of silence, where we all watched the flower, it didn't melt.

I smiled, "Okay, lets head back."

* * *

The psychic connection ended and I stepped back with my mind throbbing.

"That was…a little intense," I said.

Eon smiled, "It usually is the first time."

I whipped away some lingering tears as I took in everything Eon had shown me. "Thank you," was all I could muster, "Thank you for getting me this." I touched the ice flower. It's cool form felt surreal, like it had never left me. _It's not Eev's flower. It seems impossible, but I think it means even more because my team went through so much to get it for me._

Dim nodded as they spoke in unison.

"Happy to see you up and swimming again,"

"Anything for you Shine,"

"I'd say…its about time…just…just don't let it get broken again,"

"I'm just glad you're alright,"

"We're all here for you," Eon said. Burner scoffed in the corner. "All here." Eon directed at Burner with an edge.

Burner huffed and mumbled, "yeah, sure."

I smiled as tears started to trickle down again. This time I didn't feel like my heart was being broken, it felt like it was being mended. "Thank you so much."

 _Because of all of you, I finally know what it feels like to have friends who care about me_.


	14. Chapter 14 A Day to Themselves

"Alright! Let's do our best today!" I cheered to my group.

"Uhhhhh, what are we doing?" Plantora asked.

I smiled as I said, "Were taking the day off!"

"Finally," Burner said, "I haven't had a proper day off since I went to training. Glad the higher ups finally decided to give us some time to ourselves."

"He he, yeah," _Stupid! I was too focused on training. I never thought they might want some time to relax. Just glad they don't know that I'm in charge of their schedule._

"This will be fun!" Bolt rushed, "there's all sorts of things I want to try now that were in a new kingdom and I have time. I'll go through the markets, the restaurants, the…" she paused, "huh, what else is there?"

We all giggled.

"What about the rest of you," I asked, "what are you planning?" They all turned to me and I felt the weight of their stares, "Just need to know in case I have to get you…for you know…an emergency." I shrank back.

"I'm going to be meeting up with some of my family and friends," Current said, "a section of the Seasearcher division is in port today and I want to catch up before they go back to the sea."

"My mom suggested a few places to me," Eon said, "I think I'll head to a psychic training seminar, then to a theater. She said that I just had to see at least one performance in my life."

"Oooh, Theater," Bolt piped up enthusiastically, "Can I join?!"

"You wouldn't like it. It's not much of a play and more of storytelling. At least that's what my mom said."

"Might not be that bad," Bolt said, "Storytelling can be fun too."

I looked at Dim.

He looked at me.

I smiled at him, trying to ask him what he was doing.

He just shook his head and pointed to me.

 _I don't quite get it, but if you want to follow me then okay._ I nodded back at him.

Plantora spoke next, "I'll be in the forests. It's fall and I would like to see the beauty of nature before winter comes. After that, I think I'll meet up with some military buddies of mine. Some have been stationed here since the Illusio invasion."

I looked to Burner, "and what do you plan on doing?"

"I was…planning on heading to a hot spot. Wherever that may be."

"My mom said there is a hot spring in the mountains," Eon said, happy to assist. "It's very popular, but I can probably get you in."

Burner smiled. She smiled the first genuine smile I've seen from her, "Yes please. If you could."

Eon smiled back, "it will only take a second."

"What about you Shine," Bolt asked, "what do you plan on doing?"

"Uhhhhh…" I hesitated for far too long, "I haven't decided yet, but you should all have fun. Don't worry about me."

They all smiled and walked out of the room. Eagerly talking with each other about their plans. All expect Dim and I who still sat in the round table room.

"Alright," I said, "I have the day off to do whatever I want."

We sat at the table.

"Whatever I want…"

Dim watched me.

"Whatever…" I sighed and sprawled out over the table, "I don't know what to do."

Dim came over and comforted me by patting my back.

 _I could train. But that would negate the whole idea of having a day off. I could go shopping. There's not anything I want to buy. I could…_ My mind ran through the possibilities, _I could follow my friends. Spend some quality time with them._

I sprang up and alerted Dim, "That's it, I'll follow one of my friends. I'm sure I will find some kind of enjoyment by being with them. Now, who to follow …"

* * *

Plantora seemed excited I wanted to tag along and bounced down the path with unbridled enthusiasm as she guided me through the thick forest. I drew a deep breath, enjoying the fresh clean air, and smiled indulgently at Plantora's bliss. Dim followed closely behind me, like a silent shadow. I noticed some wild Pokémon shuffling in the grass as we passed.

"Were coming up on my favorite spot," Plantora chirped.

We walked through the thicket until we reached a huge tree dripping with moss. Its branches shaded the small clearing. Streaks of light filtered through its Autumn leaves and dappled the ground. Small mossy rocks littered the area.

Plantora came up to the base of the tree and sat down.

Dim and I followed suit.

We sat in silence. I watched the trees, the brush, the lights streaking through the canopy, the moss…the rocks? _I'm bored._

"Hey Plantora…"

"SHH," She hushed, "The forest is best enjoyed in silence." She closed her eyes and leaned her head back.

I sat and listened to…to… the wind. It rustled the trees for a few seconds and then died. I listened to the birds that flew overhead. I heard a Kricketot chime, but it was gone before I could enjoy it.

I shifted and stared at the ground. I used my little ice appendage to carve the dirt. I examined the dirt in my appendage and a Joltik rested on my paw. It zapped me and I quickly brushed away the dirt.

I looked out at the field, and watched the one rock in my vision. I examined the rock, trying to follow the moss's curve along its surface. A Durant came and took the rock away. _Hey, I was using that rock._

I looked at Dim. He was just sitting with his eyes closed.

I sat, bored out of my mind, "Well it's been fun but I think I need to start heading back."

Plantora nodded, "Just try not to make too much noise on your way back."

I smiled and left.

* * *

I sighed as I walked into town with Dim in tow. I had just come back from seeing Current. I was hoping I could spend the day with him, but he was playing some water games with his friends and family. I couldn't swim.

 _I hope that theater Eon was talking about is good._

As I walked, I started to notice many Pokémon and Warriors staring.

 _What? I don't have something on me, do I?_

A little ralts walked up to me with its head down, "Uhm…uh, Ms. Shine…" his timid voice reminded me of myself, "Can…can I have your autograph."

He held up a piece of paper and an ink pen.

 _My autograph?_ I slowly, shyly, reached for the pen with my mouth as I tried to process that she was asking for my autograph. Mine?!

I stared at the paper before it hit me, _she's asking for my autograph because I'm a Glaceon! No…she said ME! I'm famous?!_ I felt a mix of emotions swell inside me, _I'm…I'm famous! When did I get famous?! Who gave out my name?! I can't believe Pokémon are asking for my autograph. My autograph! How am I supposed to act? Just…just write on the paper Shine._

Flustered, I wrote "Shine" on the cover.

"Hey everyone," a warrior yelled from the crowd, "it's Shine from Shine's Forces!"

A mass of Pokémon and Warriors rushed the two of us. I lost sight of the ralts. The crowd pressed in on me and I could barely move. _I need to get out of here_ , I thought.

I jumped as high as I could and landed on someone's head. I Leapt off his head and managed to find solid ground away from the crowd. I started to run as the army of fans rushed after me.

For a moment, I was reminded of my time on the battlefield of Cragspur and I let my temperature drop. The ground froze behind me. The mob slipped and slid, trying to get their footing.

"Sorry!" I yelled back at them.

I ran, literally, right into Bolt and Eon. We fell end over end until we were nothing more than a tangled heap.

"Shine?!" Eon said in shock, "What are you doing?!"

"Right now, trying to get away from the crowd," I said, untangling myself.

"Crowd?" Bolt asked, "what crowd…"

A mass of people thundered towards us."

I closed my eyes and prepared for the worst.

After a moment of silence, I opened my eyes to see them all frozen in Eon's telekinesis.

"Is that any way to act," Eon addressed the crowd, clearly disgusted, before she teleported them away. She turned to me, "Anyways, do you want to come with us to the theater?"

I smiled gleefully, "Yeah sure." _Now I don't have to ask._

We stepped into the building and picked out a spot in the middle. We all sat on comfortable pillows.

Pokémon and people were shuffling into the room. I'd never been to a play before. The stage easily caught my eye. It was slightly raised off the ground with a roof shaped like an inverted V. Four poles rested at each corner of the stage, acting as supports for the roof. On the left, a long bridge stretched to the wall with a door leading backstage.

"Ooohh," Bolt said barely able to sit still, "I'm so excited, I can't wait any longer. It's supposed to be about us, right?" She asked Eon.

"Not us specifically but the whole Terrara battle," Eon responded.

Dim popped out from the shadows and landed next to Bolt.

"Wha? Where'd you come from?"

"Hush now, it's starting," Eon said.

Several Pokémon and humans walked in carrying a variety of instruments. Two Ninetales started walking along the bridge. One had a coat that shined pure gold. A Warrior walked behind them, more as an accessory than a master of the two beasts.

Music started to play from the instruments. The flute sounded particularly beautiful, soaring above the rest.

The two Ninetales sat center stage. The golden one made eye contact with me.

I shuffled uncomfortably under its gaze.

Its eyes moved on as it spoke, "This is a story from not too long ago,"

"A truthful story," the other Ninetales said, "where the Auroran army conquered Terrara."

The two played off one another with a neutral tone as if they were just retelling events, "This is the first time this story has been spoken in public,"

"May you enjoy the story we are about to tell."

"Those Ninetale's are cool," Bolt marveled.

The play went on to explain the plan and how others prepared for it.

I zoned in and out. _I'm not sure I like watching a reenactment of what I've already done._

I focused back in when it got to the juicy bits: the battles.

"The first major assault was carried out by the main army," The gold one said.

"They were sent to attack Nobunaga's main forces to the south of the kingdom." _And they left out the part about how they were actually an attack force for Pugilis._

"The fierce battle raged between Pokémon and Warriors," the gold one said while the other moved, danced and shot fire balls as if it was in battle.

 _Is that supposed to represent battle? It doesn't even come close to the real thing._

"Meanwhile, the ESF2, or as you all know them,"

"Shine's forces!" The regular Ninetales said with excitement.

The crowd cheered.

 _Shine? We had a public name? The public name is my name? When did this happen?!_

When the crowd once again grew silent, the golden one returned to the story. Although I felt a few eyes glancing towards me at this part, "Shine's forces engaged an enemy force behind the Terrara castle."

"They defeated all of the enemy single handedly!" The other said barely able to contain her excitement.

 _That wasn't true!_

This received a dirty look from the golden Ninetales. The other quickly shrank back.

"The castle was targeted by the great Castle Busting team," the golden Ninetales continued without skipping a beat. "For those of you who don't know, the Castle Busting team is made up of all the old Warlords of previously captured kingdoms."

"They are some of the strongest fighters in the army," the other Ninetales returned with her neutral tone. "Thanks to the previous two attacks, the castle was left open, allowing the Castle Busting team to strike."

"The Castle Busting team had to take three flags in order to seize victory."

"And to make matters worse, these flags were placed atop the largest pillars in the nation of Ransei. So tall, that not even birds can fly to the top."

"The group did massive damage to the defending forces and managed to take the flags within the time limit."

"Thus, the castle of Terrara was captured and the kingdom secured in less than a day."

The two Ninetales spoke in unison and bowed their heads, "Thank you."

The music stopped and the crowd clapped.

Everyone started shuffling out. There were so many people and Pokémon crowding the halls that we stayed in our seats.

"That was um…something…" Bolt mused.

 _That was inaccurate and boring. I don't think I like the theater._

"I'll admit that it wasn't as good as it could be…" Eon tried to find some sort of silver lining.

A Warrior walked up to us. I recognized him as the one who played the flute on stage. He bowed and spoke, "The Ninetales wish to speak to you ESF2."

Bolt and Eon looked at me. "Uh, sure." We got up and followed the performer.

In the backroom, the two Ninetales waited for us. The Golden Ninetales towered over all of us but she had a gentle smile that put all worries at ease. The other Ninetales was half the golden ones height and seemed to be ready to jump in glee.

"It's nice to meet you miss Shine, miss Espeon and miss Jolteon." We all nodded respectfully, "How did you like the play?"

"It was fine…" Eon said with hesitation.

"It was inaccurate," Bolt blurted out.

"Bolt!" Eon protested.

The golden Ninetales gave an amused chuckle, "it's quite alright. It's one of the reasons I asked you back here." We all stood up straight as she talked, "I am Luster, a story teller. Being a story teller, I wish to be as accurate as possible in my stories. So, I would like to know what happened if that's okay with you." Her sweet voice made it impossible to say no.

"I bet you were the one who destroyed the main force all by yourself!" The smaller Ninetales broke in and started moving closer to me with every question, "would you mind telling me all about you. Your life, your beginnings, how you became the most inspirational Pokémon in…"

Luster pushed the little Ninetales aside, "I have to apologize for my daughter, Lucent's, behavior. She is just such a big fan of yours." Luster looked at me with such genuine warmth that my discomfort vanished, "would you mind entertaining her questions? I'm sure she would love it."

"Uhm, yeah sure," I said lamely.

"Oh, this is great!" Lucent popped out from behind me and dragged me to the side. "We can talk about all sorts of things. Tell me everything!"

* * *

All four of us trotted down the street.

"That was exhausting," I breathed, "I can't believe someone wants to know about my life."

"At least now we know why you're famous," Eon responded.

"Yeah, I still don't get that. Why is she famous and not us?" Bolt questioned.

"Didn't you hear Luster?" Eon asked, "Shine was a nobody who rose to the top overnight. That inspires hope for others to be able to do the same."

Bolt just rolled her eyes and kept walking.

I blushed and shook my head, "I still can't believe it."

"Well," Eon chuckled wryly, "you can believe you just told your entire life to a story teller who lives a thousand years. Everyone will be hearing about you for a very long time!"

I stopped in my tracks and my mind froze as I was struck with the realization, "Y…Years…Thousands…"

They glanced at each other and broke out laughing.

* * *

It was the afternoon, but a good portion of the day was left.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Eon asked.

"Well, I still haven't gone through all the shops. Want to join?" Bolt asked.

We all agreed, and we probably shouldn't have.

Bolt dragged all of us to a shop and before we could really do any looking, she dragged us to the next.

By the time we reached the thirteenth shop, Bolt finally started to slow down.

We were in a musical instrument shop.

I gaped at all the string instruments that littered the wall. _How can you have so many variations of the same string and wood?_

Eon and Bolt were inspecting the drums on the other side of the room. Dim followed me.

I slowly made my way over to the pipe-like instruments that hung on the wall. I picked one up with my appendages. _This is easy to hold._

"Do you have any questions, Ms. Glaceon?" the shop owner greeted me,

I put the instrument back and spoke to him, "I'm wondering if you have something that's easy to use and travels well."

The shop owner moved over to another section of the wall, "I'm not sure this is easy, but it sure is portable." He grabbed a horizontal pipe and handed it to me, "this is a Shinobue flute."

I held it in my appendages.

He grabbed a similar model and started playing it. A smooth slow melody filled the shop as he played a peaceful simple piece. I fell in love with the sweet sound. When he stopped, Eon and Bolt stomped the ground in applause.

Eager to hear the music again, I tried to use the instrument in my appendages. The sound that came out was like nails scraping on a chalkboard, hitting notes way too high to be considered safe for the ear.

Thankfully, the owner stopped me mid-way through my embarrassing, ear bleeding performance. "Perhaps you should have a few lessons before you start performing on you own."

"I shouldn't have picked it up," I drooped.

"Don't say that," the shop owner tried to reassure me, "everybody is bad the first time they pick up an instrument. You have to practice to get better. If you want, I could give you a beginner's lesson?"

I looked up at him, a smile slowly creeping onto my face.

"Bolt!" Eon said from the doorway, "Shine, Bolt just bolted to the next store, are you coming?"

"No," I yelled back, "I'm going to stay here for a while."

* * *

I rushed through the entrance to the Illusio castle, Dim in tow. I didn't much care about how my new flute was bouncing around in my bags. When I made it to the foyer, I saw the Master directing some Warriors.

"Master!" I said in a panic as I halted in front of him.

"Good, you're here," he said paying more attention to his soldiers, "Other than Plantora, you were the last to arrive. Nobunaga will be here within the hour. Get your group prepared."

I nodded and ran to our meeting room.

 _I've never actually met Nobunaga. From what I hear he is a ruthless, evil man. I hope he isn't too scary._

I put a paw on the door and felt my paw shake. I tried to take a deep breath to calm myself. It didn't help. When I came through the doors, I could feel the tense atmosphere.

"Shine," Eon quickly asked, "Do you know what's going on?"

I told her all I knew, "Nobunaga is coming."

"Ha, we'll beat him back," Burner said.

"No," I tried to correct though my fumbling nerves, "He's visiting."

"Visiting?!" Half the room cried.

"Yeah, visiting. So, no one is to attack him unless he attacks first."

"That would explain why moms back," Eon whispered to herself.

"Is ESF1 back from the battles in Viperia?" I asked, hearing Eon's whisper.

"Yeah," Bolt said, "They arrived with the Master. A little before you did."

Current, seemingly unconcerned, looked at my bags, "You buy something?"

I flushed, "Well, yes I did."

"What did you buy?" Current pushed.

I carefully pulled out the well-crafted piece of bamboo. "I bought a Shinobue flute."

"I didn't know you could play," Current said, "can you play something now?"

"Is this really the best time?" I questioned.

"Aw come on, there's nothing like a good song. Play something."

 _But I just got it and just started taking lessons._ That was what I wanted to say, but all of them looked at me eager to hear what I could do.

I sighed and put my lips to the end. _Let's see how much of my lessons stuck_.

I blew into the pipe and released one singular high pitched note. It wasn't ear grating, it was quite soothing.

I changed notes to a slightly lower tone. _Alright, just like practice_ , I thought, sweat dripping.

I shifted my appendages up the shaft to hit a low note. I used my appendages to cover the various holes in the Bamboo to make the sounds I wanted.

I moved back up to a high note to finish off.

My voice was frail, "That's all I know. I'm sorry it's not a song."

"What are you saying," Bolt said, "that was great!"

"It may not have been a song but it still sounded beautiful," Eon commented.

 _No one ever told me that I was good at something_. I felt a little smile grow on my face.

The tense atmosphere that had once permeated the room was gone. Even I was calmed by the simple notes.

That was quickly cut short as a Kirlia slammed opened the door. "Nobunaga's here, the Master has called everyone to the foyer."

I got out of my seat, calm and focused, "Alright everyone, let's go."

* * *

My group and I stood at attention to the Master's left. Eev's group stood to the right.

I focused forward as the double doors swung open. A man wearing black armor and a velvet cape lead the way. He walked with such purpose it almost seemed as if he had conquered the castle. Two guards flanked him. One wore a white top that had blue sleeves. He also had a pendant dangling from his neck with two spheres on it, one brown and the other silver. He had a Lucario following closely behind him. The other guard was Mitsuhide with his Lapras. Nobunaga was far scarier in person than I thought. He had a certain glare that gave me the impression he looked down on everyone.

The group stopped short at the Master.

Nobunaga spoke with a smooth voice, "Thank you for taking this selfish request. I'm just a little tired and wish to get away from the action for a bit."

The Master responded in an equally polite tone, "Why of course. If a warlord needs rest, we'd be happy to accommodate."

"Thank you," Nobunaga bowed his head.

"Tomonobu and Gardevoir will take you to your room," The Master gestured to the pair. I noticed they stopped shaking as he gestured.

"This way to your rooms," the two guided Nobunaga's group down the hall.

I noticed the Lucario shot a smile at Espy.

We all stayed in formation until he was out of earshot.

"What do you think he wants?" The Master asked.

"Don't know and that's what troubles me." Eev responded, "Why not Cragspur or some other more strategic kingdom?"

"Does Nobunaga usually come out like this?" I asked.

"No," Eev instantly responded, "In fact, he never does things like this. To him, it's just wasting time and he hates to waste anything that doesn't achieve his ambition. He's here for a reason and I need to find out what that is." Eev's group left the room.

The master came over to us, "Until we figure out what he's after, I want all of you to stay in the castle."

I nodded, "We will Master."

* * *

I sat alone in the music room, practicing my Shinobue flute. I was still terrible at it.

 _I'm glad this room is soundproof. That way no one has to listen to my screaming flute._

I blew a squeaking note.

 _Urgh, this is so hard!_

Nobunaga burst through the doors.

I nearly inhaled my flute, "Nobunaga!"

"Are you Shiny Snow?" He asked.

"Y…yes," _Oh no, if he's after me then this might be trouble. There's no windows and one entrance. Wait, if we make a ruckus then…why did I choose to stay in a soundproof room!_ "Can I help you?" Stars glittered around me as I tried to contain my panic.

Nobunaga grabbed a chair and sat facing me, "What do you think about the war?"

"The…the war?" _Where did this come from?!_ I thought as I tried to hide the fact that I was shaking in fear. He looked so intimidating, I'm not sure if it's the way his face looks or he is actually looking down on me. "I…uh," _I have to be careful of what I say, I don't want to offend him_ , "I don't understand the question." _Good Shine, redirect the question._

"Allow me to rephrase, why are you fighting in this war?"

 _Why do I fight?_ _I fight for Eev because…I respect her, Eev's awesome and helped make me who I am._ "I fight for Eev."

"Is that it? Do you only fight because Eev commands it?" He said in a judging tone.

 _No, no that's not it. I fight because_ …my friends flashed before me, "I fight for my friends."

"And what would happen if your friends were consumed by this war?"

"Con…consumed?!"

"If they were hurt badly, or all they cared about was war," his tone deepened with every word.

I gulped. I could feel his presence pressing down on me, waiting for an answer. I couldn't bear a single minute of it, "I…I would help them."

Nobunaga sat with no expression.

"I would help them, no matter what they need. I would try to bring back the person I became friends with."

"War leads to bloodshed, pain and suffering." Nobunaga's eyes filled with unwavering resolve, "I will stop this war, I will stop all wars from ever happening again, no matter the cost." His features softened as he smiled and patted me on the head, "Don't fight for Eev, your so much better than Eev."

He got up and walked to the door, "You don't have to worry for your friends for too long. Soon this war will end, one way or another."


	15. Chapter 15 Battles Above the Clouds

I blew a note. A soft note that hung on the air.

I started the soft melody and moved my appendages up and down the pipe with practiced ease. The sweet song was quick and light and that's what made it so challenging. Even with the fast tempo, the song had a serenity to it. It was like playing in a calm forest.

The last high note faded into silence as I put down the flute. Stomping filled the small meeting room.

"That was great!"

"Awesome!" my friends cheered.

Eon came up to me, "Looks like all those days of practicing paid off."

I couldn't help but feel my cheeks freezing. "Thanks," I murmured, ducking my head.

A knock came at the door.

"Come in," I said politely.

Eev and Espy walked into the room with a bundle of papers wrapped in Espy's telekinesis. She placed the papers on the table and rolled out a huge map of Avia.

"I have your next assignment," Eev firmly stated, "you are to take the castle of Avia."

"What?!" Everyone shouted in unison.

"The whole castle?!" Eon asked.

"Yes, the whole castle," Eev said, "and without any support."

 _Assaulting a whole castle? ALONE! Does Eev not remember the last time we did that?!_

Plantora was the first to ask, "Why are you sending us to attack the second most fortified kingdom in Ransei?! It's literally above the clouds!"

"It's specifically because the place is a fortress that we are sending you," Espy said.

Eev elaborated, "The kingdom is surrounded by mountains, making it impossible to send a huge army up the ridge. A small task force would be able to cover the terrain in no time."

"The biggest obstacle is the flying types of the kingdom," Espy added. "They can just fly over the mountain and can easily attack any passing force. Like magikarp in a barrel."

"Okay," Burner said slowly, "then how do seven Pokémon defeat a fortress full of Pokémon?"

"You don't," Eev said simply, "despite the battles outside the castle, the one on one Pokémon duels for the castle itself are still in effect."

"If you can make it to the castle, Nobunaga's army will be forced to bring out 24 of their best fighters to do battle. Whoever wins that fight wins the castle and Nobunaga will have to withdraw," Espy explained.

"Won't we be at a disadvantage?" Current asked, "only being able to bring out 7 to their 24?"

"Yes, you will," Eev responded, "that's why we're sending you. Only your team can cross large mountains with ease and still have the ability to take on 24 powerful Pokémon right after. We're preoccupied in Viperia, so the ESF1 can't do it. You're the next best thing."

 _We're second to the best? When'd that happen?! We aren't that good._

Eev took over, "Your mission is simple, take the castle of Avia by reaching the castle's bridge. Avia is a hub for all air traffic in the eastern theater and we need to take it to remove Nobunaga's air advantage." I listened intently, "You're to take the kingdom. I'll leave it to you, Shine, to figure out how to do that." Eev looked directly at me, "It's your time to shine."

The pair left the room.

"Well…" Bolt sat confused, "what do we do now?"

I looked over the papers, scouting reports and maps littered on the table. Eev's words echoed over and over in my mind. Steely resolve filled my voice, "We make a plan."

* * *

The mountain was steep. It almost felt like rock climbing. I had to jab special claws into the rock's surface to get any grip.

 _I really must thank Dim for getting us these claws_.

I looked back to make sure everyone was still here.

My group struggled to make their way up the slanted rocks, even with these special claws. Dim seemed to be the only one who found this easy.

The sun was at my back and painted the skies with glowing Crimson. I watched in awe as those beautiful fire red skies darkened with the setting sun.

"Hey Shine," Bolt said, clearly irritated, "wanta move it."

"R…right. Night's falling so we should find a place to rest."

We hefted our way onto a ledge.

Everyone but Dim was gasping for breath.

"Why'd you choose the hardest path Shine?" Burner asked between deep breaths.

I was panting myself, "This was the path with the least amount of patrols. We'll rest up here for a while, then take off when the sun fully sets."

"A night raid?" Burner asked, "Won't Bolt and I stand out like sores?"

I stared thoughtfully at Burner for a moment, "Dim, you have any ideas?"

Dim pounded the ground and kicked up tons of dust. I covered my mouth, coughing. He then grabbed the loose dirt and threw it on Bolt and Burner.

They both stared at Dim with disapproval.

They were only partially covered in the dark dust, but the look on their faces was priceless. I couldn't contain it anymore, I started laughing. Like a contagion, my laughter spread to everyone.

After the giggles died down, we started talking.

"So, Shine," Eon said, "I'm rather curious, how exactly did you get picked by Eev?"

I struggled to recall memories from so long ago, "I'm not sure. She said I acted like a Glaceon but I still have no idea what that means."

"Well, how did you even manage to get her attention?" Eon prodded, clearly not satisfied with my answer, "I can't believe that Eev would go through every single eevee first hand."

"I'm not sure. It could have been my name or my coat."

"Your coat? Your name?" Plantora asked.

"Back then, I had a white coat. My parents said it looked like fresh snow, so they named me snow."

"Why would your coat be…" Burner started to say before her voice trailed off and her eyes went wide.

 _So, she figured it out._

"What is it Burner?" Eon asked.

"It's nothing," Burner averted her eyes from us.

"So why was your coat white?" Bolt rushed.

"Don't know. It just was. Been that way since I was born. Even now I'm a far lighter shade of blue than Eev."

"So, when you got picked, what happened?" Bolt asked.

"Eev pulled me out of school for special training. Spent around half a year in Nixitrom, then met you guys."

"When did you get pulled out of school?" Current asked.

"Start of my third year."

They all stared at me.

"What?"

"Apparently," Current said in disbelief, "you're the youngest one here."

 _Oh, right, forgot about that. Stupid! What will they think of me now?! Do they even want to follow me anymore?!_

"I got out-classed by a third year?!" Eon said stunned.

"By now she would be a fourth year," Plantora snickered, "though I get what you mean. I would have thought you were much older. Especially since your so skilled at combat."

"You don't mind that I'm so young?" I asked astonished.

"Why would we," Current said.

"I…uhm…" _change the subject_ , "Why don't we take some time to get some shut eye before nightfall?"

They all nodded in agreement.

"Then I'll take first watch," I quickly turned towards the horizon, eager to escape the conversation.

I heard them shuffle and still.

I let out a sigh of relief.

 _Didn't think that they would be so okay with me being so young. I thought for sure they would have a problem with me leading them, considering I'm basically still a 4_ _th_ _year._

The blazing form of Burner came up to me, "I thought your name was Shine." Burner's voice was somber as she stared at the ground.

"I thought your name was Burner, but your real name is Blue isn't it."

"How'd you find out?"

"Back in that bird cave in Cragspur. When you talked about the Eevee that had the same stars I did."

"Why'd you change your name?"

"I didn't. The Mistress just added a word, Shiny Snow. Why'd you change yours?"

"I thought it would be cooler…"

I smiled, "You should know that Blue Flames burn the hottest and brightest. How could anything be cooler?"

"I'm…" Burner choked. She sounded on the verge of tears, "…I'm sorry…I'm sorry for be…beating you."

Despite all she had put me through, despite all the harm she caused me, I only felt sorry for her. Right now, she's not my bully, she's my friend.

"You're not that Pokémon anymore. You're the hot-headed warrior who fights legions alongside all of us. You're friends with unlikely Pokémon like Eon. You're not my bully anymore, you're my friend. Just be who you want to be and don't belittle others for being who they want to be."

Burner sniffed and wiped tears from her eyes, "Sure…though, you're not the same Pokémon either. I think if you were that same sniffling little Eevee from before, I wouldn't have been able to get along with you."

"I wasn't that bad, was I?"

"Whenever I saw you, you always looked like you were on the verge of tears. I couldn't help but think that you were a weakling."

"Back then, I guess I was weak. Everything happened so fast, I guess I didn't see how quickly I had changed. How quickly I grew strong."

Burner smiled, "I'm glad you became a Glaceon."

I smiled back, "I'm glad you became a Flareon. You'd better get some rest. Those legions are coming sooner rather than later," I quipped.

"You think legions can hold me down," she quipped in a shaky voice, "I can take them all on."

I giggled, and said sarcastically, "Ssssuuuurrrreee and I'll be there to bail you out."

We both giggled.

Burner walked back and found a place to lay down. "One more thing," she said. I turned to look at her, "could you call me Blue from now on? I think I like that name better."

I smiled and nodded, "Of course Blue."

* * *

The night seemed to go on forever. The moon was only a small slit in the sky and darkness blanketed the land. Everyone was up and ready to begin the operation. Eon had already telepathically linked us for the task ahead.

" _Tonight, is a good night for stealth_ ," Dim said in our minds.

" _Alright, let's go over our infiltration plan_." My group nodded, " _we will climb the rest of the way up these cliffs. Then we'll sneak our way to the main bridge and go in through the front gates_."

" _Seriously_ ," Dim commented, " _the front gate?_ "

" _How else do you get into a literal FLOATING FORTESS!_ " Eon countered.

Dim couldn't come up with a response.

" _Let's head out_ ," I ordered.

We climbed our way up the mountain. Fortunately, we'd already done the hard part and there wasn't much climbing left.

After only two hours, we arrived at a divide between two mountain peaks. It was flat enough for us to walk.

" _I can't believe there's no patrols or guards up here_ ," Plantora thought.

" _Yeah_ ," Eon commented, " _It's almost like this place was asking to be attacked_."

I froze up at that line. _It WAS asking to be attacked_. I thought.

" _IT'S A TRAP! RUN BACK DOWN THE MOUNTAIN!_ " I screamed at them in my mind.

We moved in unison, heading back the way we came. Before we could start climbing, three large Unfezant flew up and blocked our path. I whipped around to see bird Pokémon flying in from all sides, cutting off our exit.

 _Dang it,_ I thought, _I should have seen this as a trap. I need to think of a way out of this. We can't go back the way we came since there are more enemies that way than ahead. It would be easier if we continued forward._

I looked ahead to see Boldore crawling out of their hiding places in the ground.

 _We'll have to go around them_.

" _Follow my lead_!" I thought to my group.

I ran for the walls since there were few birds flying down from the mountains.

The other birds followed behind us but made sure to keep a concentrated force to our rear. The birds were able to catch up quicker than expected.

I turned and blew an Icy Wind in their general direction to keep them off my group.

The terrain started to slant and quickly rise. Soon we were nearly vertical. Only then did I turn towards our destination. We used Dim's equipment to make the run easier.

I looked to the side and blew another Icy Wind that managed to connect with a few Unfezants.

Running on the wall effectively put the Boldore blockade behind us. I directed my group off the wall and we sprinted all the way to our target. This seemed to anger our enemy as their attacks became more vigorous than before.

The birds maneuvered so quickly that we weren't able to get close to the castle before they were on us again. They kept their distance from us by flying high, then swooping down to Peck us. Normally Peck would be ineffective, but the whole flock was more dangerous than any single attack. What made matters worse, some of the bird Pokémon were landing hits with Aerial Ace, Wing Attack and Air Slash. My team was taking a beating.

Rather than take the time to turn and attack, I decided instead to keep a constant flow of Icy Wind in the air above me. The air chilled faster than we could run. I shot a ball of ice into the sky to start a hail storm. Ominous black clouds started to form and pelt the battlefield with ice. When I went back to my Icy Wind, it had changed. Suddenly, the narrow cone of powder shifted to a huge flurry of power.

 _Blizzard_ , I thought, _I learned BLIZZARD!_ I mentally cheered before I recollected my thoughts. _Now is no time for celebration_.

I stopped and spun around to face the massive flock. _I wouldn't have been able to face a whole swarm of birds before, but having Blizzard changes things. Now I can wreak havoc on them._

I took a deep breath and let out a frigid gale that covered their entire vanguard. Tranquill started dropping like flies. The Unfezant's were able to endure the brutal onslaught long enough to swipe me with Wing Attacks.

Gritting my teeth in pain, I dropped the attack. I knew I couldn't rest now.

I turned and ran. That's when I saw my mistake, I didn't tell my group to keep running. _Well dang it_.

Fortune was on my side, though, as I could see the aerial fortress up ahead. My sole focus was the bridge leading to the front gates. _We will be safe if we just reach the bridge_.

We all ran as fast as we could while the Unfezant's started their own brutal onslaught.

Everyone in my group tried their best to fend off our attackers. Bolt seemed to be the only one used to a running fight, thus she was the only one dealing effective damage. However, no matter how many we defeated, more just kept coming.

As we approached the bridge, the Birds attacks became more desperate. We made one final push to reach the bridge. My vision blurred as I struggled to remain conscious through the pain.

I was only a few steps away from the bridge when a Sky Attack knocked me to the ground.

The Unfezant's quickly swooped in on me, eager to claim their pray.

I responded by flipping onto my back and pelting them with another Blizzard.

The birds retreated from the freezing gale.

I took the opportunity and, with only adrenaline powering my muscles, leapt onto the stone bridge. My body made a violent thud and rolled three times before coming to rest on the warm stones.

I had enough strength to get my paws under me and survey my surroundings. My friends all made it with me but were just as battered as I was. The flock of birds flew beyond the bridge, screaming murder.

A tall man with spiky brown hair, a squared off chin and soft eyes walked down the bridge with a Sceptile in tow. He seemed to examine us with a gentle look. He spoke with a smooth and welcoming voice, "Hello, my ladies." He bowed, "I'm Magoichi. Pleased to make your acquaintance." His expression changed to shock as he examined our wounds, "My word! Who did this to you!" He seemed angry, but kept up his gentlemanly appearance, "No one should treat a lady so rough." He then leaned down and applied a Hyper potion to me.

I was a wary, but I couldn't resist the cool medicine. My senses snapped back into focus, my legs no longer felt shaky and the black in my vision faded. The pain in my body began to dull as the medicine healed my wounds. Magoichi gave a Hyper potion to each of my friends.

"Magoichi! What are you doing!" A kid marched down the bridge, silver armor that was way too big for him clattered as he rushed down the stone steps. He had a green coat thrown over his shoulders with the arms swinging free. A Braviary flapped its wings at its master's sides. He had a weird helmet that sported a similar design to the Braviary's head beside him.

"I'm merely treating the wounds of these lovely ladies. No lady should have to go through such torment."

 _What?_ I thought indignantly.

"They're the ENEMY for crying out loud!" the kid said, standing half the size of Magoichi.

"Don't yell in front of the girls. It's very impolite."

"I don't give a crap about being polite…"

"I'm sorry, my ladies. You'll have to forgive Lord Masamune's impolite behavior."

"Hey don't ignore me!"

The two seemed to argue as I thought, _Lord? Then Masamune must be the leader of the castle. He must be the one I challenge._

"You should be more like a gentleman, lord…"

"Um, excuse me," I broke into their fight.

"Yes, my lady. Oh, you haven't told me your name. If you don't mind…" Magoichi gestured waiting for my reply.

"My name's Shine, and I'm here to challenge the castle."

"Yeah," Masamune said with a snicker, "right down to the point. I like you. We'll fight right now…"

"You look exhausted, and it's the middle of the night" Magoichi interrupted, "why not take a day to rest in our castle."

"Magoichi!" Masamune nearly screamed as his irritation was visible on his face.

"Don't mind him," Magoichi said walking past Masamune, "everyone needs their beauty sleep. Especially nice-looking girls like yourself."

"Uh thanks?" Current said as we followed him, leaving behind a fuming Masamune.

" _He does know I'm a boy, right_?" Current thought to us.

I heard mental snickering from the others as I thought back, " _Just roll with it._ "

* * *

I awoke from a dreamless sleep. I got about as much rest as someone as cold as me could get on a regular warm mattress. I was tired. I reluctantly crawled out of the bed and into my room. Although, I accidently shattered the sheets. _I'll…just leave that for the maids to clean up._

We had been given the standard visitors treatment, we each got our own room to sleep in. A little Pidove stood at the door as my servant and guide, just like in every castle.

 _Wait a minute, I should have expected assassination_. I tiredly shrugged my shoulders. _Too late now_.

I walked out of my room to check on the rest of my team. Current and Blue were still sleeping. I traveled down to the dining hall and saw everyone else. Surprisingly, all these castles have similar layouts.

I smiled at my group and said, "Good morning."

They returned the gesture.

"Today's the big day," I told them.

"Got a plan?" Bolt asked.

"Not here and when everyone's awake." _Did I have a plan? I was just thinking I'd make it up as I go._

Masamune stormed into the room and shouted, "That's it! We're battling now!"

Magoichi stumbled up behind them, "I'm sorry, my ladies, if you wouldn't mind? The master is a little cranky today. So if you could…"

"You're the reason I'm Cranky! You healed them and let them stay the night! Who does that to the enemy?!"

"Gentlemen," he responded simply.

"Arrrgggg, Not this again!"

I looked to Eon, "Could you wake up the two sleepy heads?"

Eon gave a snicker, "It would be my pleasure." She then walked off down the hall. I heard multiple crashing sounds coming from that direction before Eon returned with a smile on her face and two sore Pokémon on her flank.

"All here and accounted for," she said with cheer…too much cheer.

"We're ready for battle," I told the two.

* * *

We stood on an ocean of blue sky. Clouds floated next to us like boats on the blue sea. The floating islands were covered with green grass and a few flowers. The levitating chunks of earth were connected by a series of bridges. My group sat on one of the lower islands. A bridge was to my left and a spring board sat to my right. An island floated to the front and above us. No path led to this island, but I noticed spring boards on other islands that I suspected would get you to the top.

"WOW!"

"This place is so pretty!" Eon, Blue and I gawked at the clouds.

"So," Bolt said to everyone, "I've never done a castle siege before. How does this work?"

I perked up too, realizing that I had no idea what was going to happen either.

Plantora rubbed her hands together and smiled, "Listen up, kiddos, because this is my specialty." We all turned to face the Leafeon, "Alright, we have about ten minutes to prepare before the battle starts. I will give you a quick rundown. We have 30 minutes to defeat the enemy force. The only rule is that we must have a max of 24 Pokémon. If we don't defeat them in 30 minutes, we lose."

"Is that it?" Bolt asked in surprise.

"Some castles have slightly different rules, but for the most part that's it."

I too, was surprised at the simplicity of it. "You sure there won't be any curve balls?"

"There shouldn't be, but I can't say what Masamune will do."

An exaggerated sigh escaped my lips.

A voice shouted from high above us, "The battle between Shiny Snow of Aurora and Masamune of Nobunaga will now commence in 3, 2, 1…Begin!"

Bird pokemon shot in all directions. I noted they came from the rock that floated higher than ours. The birds formed 3 flocks of six and started swooping their way down to us. _It figures the flying kingdom would have 18 of the 24 combatants be flying types._ To the side, I could see a ground team consisting of a Hunter, a Scraggy, a Scyther, a Drifblim, a Golbat and Magoichi's Sceptile. They jumped from the upper island onto our plane.

I mentally barked, " _Everyone, stick together and move to eliminate the ground team_!"

We all bundled into a group. Bolt and Blue tried their best to keep the flying birds from pecking at us. They moved with more order than the flock we fought previously. They never once broke formation.

I took the opportunity, while the ground team was still a fair distance away, to challenge the birds to a game of bad weather. I focused cold energy into a ball of ice and shot it into the air. It exploded and blocked the sun with grey clouds. Little icicles began raining down.

I could see my group grimace in pain at the falling orbs. _It was a risky move to use hail, but at least I know that it effects the birds far more than it does us._

Before I knew it, the ground team was trying to encircle us.

" _Don't let them flank us_!" I shouted into Eon's telepathy.

Current and Eon took one side. Plantora and Dim took the other.

The flying flocks that up until now had only been doing a few sweeping runs were gearing up for a full assault.

" _Bolt, Blue, keep those birds off us_."

It wasn't enough and the birds didn't target either Pokémon. Instead, they targeted the ones geared to fight the ground team.

The aerial bombardment struck our group, leaving behind massive damage. I managed to avoid getting hurt by blowing an Icy Wind at them. It didn't touch them, but it did detour my aerial attackers.

While I was focused on the birds, the Scraggy hit me in the back with Brick Break.

It wasn't a very powerful hit and I was able to turn and do the one thing it least expected, I tackled the Scraggy. The tackle pushed the Scraggy back. Once there was some distance between us, I let loose an Ice Beam. The Scraggy was down, but not out.

Before I could land a finishing blow, a pair of talons ripped at my back. They gouged and tore through my flesh, making me scream in agony.

The next thing I knew, I was being lifted in the air and found myself soaring far higher than was comfortable.

Unfortunately for the bird, my insides were below zero. It had to release me before it's talons froze.

I fell from the sky and landed with a thud on the highest of the floating islands. The starting point for the enemy.

I lay there for one dazed moment. Then searing pain swept that aside and dominated my senses.

I got my paws under me, knowing that the birds would be circling around for another pass. I couldn't let my guard down, especially since I was alone. _Throw the agony on the back burner,_ _I'll think about it later,_ I grimly snorted with dark humor. _How do I do that exactly?_

All three bird flocks were closing in on me from different directions, breaking my line of thought.

I reacted instantly, spraying the air with a white powder. The birds pulled away before they hit the raging Blizzard.

 _I'm not beating them, but at least I'm buying time. Maybe I can do this until my friends get here?_

That idea quickly gave way to dread as I became exhausted far more quickly than I expected.

One wing took this opportunity to rake my back.

I gritted my teeth and switched to Icy Wind. Unfortunately, this move didn't cover nearly enough air. As I used the attack to drive away two flocks, the third hit me from behind. Their claws and beaks worked on my flesh, trying desperately to take me out.

On one of their runs, I reacted quickly and hit the third flock with an Icy Wind. Half the flock took a direct hit and fell to the ground.

I could see from how easily they fell that the hail was taking a toll on them.

One flock came around for another pass. Instead of letting them get the jump on me, I carefully aimed and launched an Ice Beam.

A near miss, but the flock scattered.

The second flock came at me from behind. I heard their wing beats in time to turn and launch an Icy Wind.

Half the birds in the second flock were knocked to the ground.

I surveyed the sky. Their attacks were now beginning to fall apart. The first flock of birds were still scrambling and performing evasive maneuvers. The second and third flocks had sustained substantial casualties. However, I couldn't let my guard down just yet. They could still reorganize.

Sure enough, the second and third flocks combined.

I saw the opportunity and took it. I launched an Ice Beam straight into the combining flocks and managed to nail a bird.

Seeing their comrade fall, the rest of the birds fell into evasive maneuvers.

The Pokémon's movements were completely disorganized and erratic now. They were trying to attack me independently while dodging moves I wasn't firing at them.

I managed to stop most of them, but more than once I felt the unexpected scrape of talons.

Several enemies fell from the sky, either from my Icy attacks or from the hail getting the best of them.

"Shine!" I could hear someone scream.

Before I had a chance to see who it was, a set of talons impaled me again. I was once again lifted high into the sky.

The pain took a back seat to panic as we rose higher. I looked up at my captor to see it was Masamune's Braviary that held me.

I desperately blew an Icy Wind in the general direction of the Braviary. Our ascent didn't slow, but I could feel by the way the he clutched my spine that he was at his limit.

The Braviary let go of me and I started to plummet.

Pure instinct and adrenaline took over as I flipped and shot an Ice Beam right at him. Feathers flew as the Breviary screamed and crumpled in on itself.

Fear took over as I realized just how high up I was.

The rushing wind drowned out my screams as the islands approached far too slowly.

Then they approached far too fast.

 _This is it, this is how I die._ I couldn't fathom the idea.

Shedding tears, I closed my eyes and braced for the worst.

The wind's rushing stopped. I felt nothing. I was afraid to open my eyes. Afraid to see what had happened.

Then I felt a cool breeze touch my fur, coaxing me to look. I opened my eyes to see a panting Eon holding me in a telekinetic aura.

"Don't…ever…do that again…" Eon huffed.

My body shook violently, before I screeched, "Why would I ever want to do that again! I thought I was going to die!"

Eon lowered me to my paws and I collapsed.

"Uh…" Current spoke, unsure of his words, "you might still want to be concerned about that."

I looked at him in confusion. He pointed back at me…no he pointed at my back.

I turned my head around. My once pure white coat was lathered in red. There wasn't a single spot that wasn't coated in crimson as it flowed onto the ground around me.

 _Oh…that can't be good…_

Like a tsunami, feeling crashed through my body. I let out a cry of pure agony. I closed my mouth and bit my tongue to stifle the screams. I succeeded in bringing them down to loud whimpers.

Plantora wrapped her legs around me, trying to offer comfort as she also offered aid. "Don't worry, we'll fix you up. I've seen talon wounds before and I know you'll get fixed up in no time." Her voice was shaky and unnaturally cheerful, as if she was trying to convince herself as well as me.

 _Great…maybe I'm just…overreacting,_ "R…really? I whispered through gritted teeth.

"Well…" Plantora's pause dashed that hope, "I've never seen anything this deep." Plantora pulled me in tight as she started to use Ingrain. She stopped the roots half-way from covering herself and directed them to me. "That should heal you up slowly."

It did lessen the pain as it healed me, all too agonizingly slowly.

"Did…Did we win?" I croaked.

"I think so," Current said scanning the skies, "we did take out that ground team, but there's still that flock."

A tall, male, Unfezant landed right next to us on the rocks. Magoichi climbed off the back of the Pokémon, "I must apologize for lord Masamunes behavior. He's still very young and has much to learn in the way of manors."

Bolt asked, "What do you mean," while in a defensive stance.

Their voices faded in and out as I struggled to follow what was being said.

"Well…" Magoichi seemed to scratch something behind his head, "with his loss here, he took off with no care for you fine ladies. As a gentleman, I just cannot abandon ladies such as yourself, Shine." I felt a little creeped out by this guy. "As the victor, I will take you back to the castle. And when I say me, I mean my partner here."

It was getting harder and harder to keep my eyes open but I managed to see the Unfezant to grit his teeth as he said, "I hope this won't become commonplace sir."

"Now, now…uh…bird," I saw the Unfezant's anger boil, "this will probably be the only time. Now if you don't mind." He looked towards us.

Plantora cut my roots and lifted me on her back.

I winced as I felt holes that hadn't closed, shift and move. The pain was unbearable _. Push past it Shine…try to keep it…together_. My vision grayed and my eyes stopped seeing long before my lids closed.

19


	16. Chapter 16 Ice to the Flame

I gazed into black. All was silent and still.

A mirror materialized in the blackness.

I stared into the mirror, but nothing reflected in its smooth surface.

Suddenly, it flickered to life. A small, sniffing, silver eevee stood on the other side.

A voice penetrated the darkness, " _Once there was an eevee who was weak and vulnerable. Outcast by others for her unique color. One day, she did something unexpected: she fought and defeated a Pokémon several times more powerful than herself. That little eevee began to grow. Her talents were discovered by another and, over time, she grew strong_."

The image rematerialized into a Glaceon white as snow.

" _She gained friends and had wonderful adventures throughout the land. She became stronger, but she was still vulnerable. Many creatures outclassed her in both stature and size, yet she didn't care. For her greatest virtue was her greatest vice. This glaceon thought she couldn't count on anyone else and tried to do everything by herself, as she had done so many times before. She wasn't alone anymore. She had friends now, but when the fighting started she fought alone. Her friends wanted to be by her side, to fight with her. Still, she fought alone. The size of her opponents increased. The severity of her injuries increased. The unseen wounds to her friends increased. One day she fought a Pokémon far too strong to take on alone and_ …"

The image faded into a crumpled red mess of a Glaceon,

"… _before all the kingdoms were unified, she died. You are the only one who can prevent this_."

The mirror's surface shifted, showing no reflection. Darkness claimed the mirror and once again, nothing filled the expanse.

* * *

"Alright Miss Shine we're almost done here," the kind audino nurse said as she wrapped my body in white cloth. My back stung as her hands gently dressed the injury. "I have to say, I didn't think you would recover so easily."

"There's nothing that a month of non-stop audino healing can't fix," I quipped.

The nurse chuckled dryly, "if only that were the case…"

She finished wrapping me in the white cloth and discharged me from the infirmary. I stepped into the halls where my friends waited.

A flurry of yellow sparks filled the air as Bolt ran circles around me. I was so surprised that a flurry of my stars followed Bolts yellow sparks. Bolt dove in for a hug, "About time you got out, Slowpoke."

Bolt's crushing embrace had my back screaming, "Ow, ow! Bolt! Back hurts!"

"Oh, sorry," she jumped away and the pain dropped to a deep ache.

"I'm glad you're out of the infirmary. You had us worried. Don't do anything like that again."

"Trust me, I never want to do anything like that again," I shuddered as I thought about making a huge splat on the ground. "Anyway," I forcibly pulled my mind away from that line of thinking, "have you all been keeping up with the exercises I've assigned?"

They all nodded.

"Of course we have," Blue said, "well, maybe not Current."

"Hey, I was with you when we did the training!"

"I don't know," Plantora spoke innocently, "I don't remember seeing you."

"Come on! Not you too!"

I giggled, "Alright, that's enough. I'll judge for myself just how much you all practiced."

I walked past my friends and they all fell in line behind me.

"Well I can say for sure that they all did their best," a light, feminine voice came from up ahead. A young girl decorated in pink ribbons walked up to us with a tall Wigglytuff by her side. "I'm Oichi. It's nice to finally meet you Shine," she smiled at me.

"Nice to meet you too," I smiled back at her.

"I'm afraid that we don't have time to waste. We need to get down to business. Please follow me to the war room."

I nodded and followed, my group close behind.

As we walked, Ms. Oichi spoke, "We heard you playing your flute in the infirmary…"

"You did?" _I didn't think anyone was listening! I should have been more careful so they didn't have to hear my terrible music._

"…I have to say, it was some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard. Everyone else agreed it was a wonderful performance."

I blushed at the compliment, "I'm not that good…wait, who's everyone?"

"Oh, just me and the rest of the castle busting team." _C…c…castle busting team?!_ "Although, Kenshin bashed you for saying you're nowhere near professional. I still say your good enough…"

"What about me?" A tall figure coated in white stood before us.

"Ahg! Kenshin! Why are you here?"

"I'm simply waiting for you to come back with our guests." Kenshin looked right at me, "Come, there's no time to waste." He then walked through a pair of double doors.

"I thought I'd have a little more time before we get here," Oichi said under her breath. "Let's head in," she cheerfully guided us through the double doors.

On the other side, a square table had maps littering its surface. Windows dotted the wall directly in front of the door. Kenshin moved to the right side of the table. On the left sat a plump Warrior clad in red robes.

Oichi moved to the opposite side of the table and faced us. "This is Kenshin and Shingen," she pointed to each respectively.

"Nice to finally meet you," Shingen said, standing up to shake my paw, "I have to say, I've heard a lot about you, Shine, and your group."

"So, we're just a side note now?" Blue said with obvious disdain.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it that way," I shot a warning glance at Blue, "What did you call us here for?" I tried to quickly defuse the situation.

"Uhm, okay…let's get started," Oichi spoke nervously before she regained her composure, "we plan on attacking the kingdom of Valora next." She gestured to the maps on the table. I took a few steps forward to examine the papers.

"We'll be using a three-pronged attack," Shingen explained the many arrows written on the papers, "the first attack will hit the enemy in the vanguard. The second attack will come by the sea, with Motochika leading the charge. The third attack will come much later in the battle. They will push up north from the eastern mountains and strike them from behind."

"We will surround and corner them before taking the castle," Kenshin stated, "If we succeed, we will effectively trap a large section of Nobunaga's army and force their surrender."

"All Divisions will be playing a role in this battle," Oichi said.

"All?!" Plantora looked completely shocked.

Oichi nodded, "All. This is part of a larger battle. The Master and Mistress are preparing to attack Spectra as we speak. They wish to have this be one large engagement rather than two fractured ones. You will play a role in both battles as an instant response force along with the ESF1. Being an instant response means that you will rush to any point that is struggling and lend a hand. You'll be briefed on the specifics when you get ready to head out. For now, just prepare. We will begin in two weeks. Any questions?" she asked in a cheerful voice.

I nodded, "Will we be hitting Nixitrom after this?"

"Yes," Oichi said, "Nixitrom will be the next kingdom we fight."

I grinned, "I have no further questions."

 _I get to fight in Nixitrom! I finally get to go back after all these years! I can't wait to feel the gentle warm breeze on my skin. Who knows, maybe I'll even feel cold! Ohh, I'm so excited I can't wait!_

Stars shined around me as I said, "Let's prepare everyone!"

* * *

I weaved my way through camp with a skip in my step.

 _Only one more battle to go! I just have to hold out tomorrow and I'll be able to fight at Nixitrom._

I looked around the camp of Pokémon. There weren't many warriors. Instead, the camp consisted mostly of Jolteon, Flareons and Espeons, each in their own little groups.

A Jolteon walked up to me with a grin from ear to ear and squealed, "Oh my gosh! I can't believe I'm meeting The Shine!" I could only smile as he handed me a piece of paper and pen, "Can I get your autograph!" I signed the piece of paper, making the Jolteon squeal a second time before running off.

I didn't really mind. It happened so often these past couple days that I was beginning to get used to it.

I walked up to our tent. I saw Burn…I mean Blue talking with some other Flareons. I decided to crash the conversation.

"No way," one of the Flareon's said in disbelief, "No Pokémon could take that much punishment and not push for leave."

"I'm not kidding," Blue said, "oh, and speak of the Glaceon."

"Hi Blue, what 'cha doin?"

"Just talking to a few of my buddies from training. Let me introduce you, this is Wick," she pointed to one of the three Flareon's on the right, "this is Fireguard," she gestured to the left Flareon, "and this is Torchlit," she pointed to the one in the center.

"Ooohhhh," I mused, "Is this the one that out shot you with a fire mortar?" I asked in a teasing tone.

That…that has nothing to do with anything," Blue said flustered, while her cheeks began to glow.

All of us laughed.

"I'm so getting you back for this," Blue mumbled to me.

Torchlit put a paw around the flustered Flareon's shoulder, "Just admit it, I'm better than you," the male Flareon said.

"Oh yeah," Blue suddenly regained her composure, "who was chosen to be a part of the ESF2? Oh, that's right, NOT you!"

Torchlit lost his cool and slid off Blue's shoulder, "P…power isn't everything!"

"Apparently it is," Blue retorted.

"Alright break it up," I got in between them, "we've got a meeting to get to."

"Hear that, I've got someplace to be. Now if you'll excuse me," Blue turned her back and walked off.

"Fine!" Torchlit yelled after the Flareon, "I've got places to be, too!" He turned and walked off.

I could only chuckle.

"We're sorry about their behavior," Wick said, "they've been like this since training."

"Though Blue doesn't seem as angry as she did before," Fireguard commented.

I chuckled again, "I don't mind. In fact, this is the only time I've seen Blue get so flustered. I bet those two have a thing."

We all chuckled like school girls.

"Hey Shine," Blue walked up to me with her cheeks aglow, "where…where is the meeting?"

I smiled, "This way Blue."

* * *

Blue and I walked into a tent filled with Jolteons, Flareons and Espeons sitting in rows. Light chatter emanated from the Pokémon. My group was already here and waiting.

I took a seat next to the rest of my party.

"About time you two showed up," Eon said with irritation, "It's about to start."

As she said those words, a tall Gardevoir entered the room.

"What was that," I quipped with a smile, "I didn't quite hear you."

Eon socked me in the side.

I took the hit with a smile and turned my attention to the front of the room.

The Gardevoir set up a map of Avia, Valora, Spectra and Viperia. She had also set up a number of dots along the borders of Avia and Viperia.

"Listen up everyone!" The room fell silent, "We are about to embark on a major offensive. If we succeed here, we will win this war."

The room came alive with cheering.

The Gardevoir shouted, "Silence!"

Once again, the room became still.

"Just because this battle could win the war does not mean it's a cake walk. This may be one of the hardest battles you fight."

"Pssh," Bolt whispered, "Shine's got all of you beat."

I blushed a little at that statement, _I'm not sure that's something to be proud of_.

"This operation will begin with you traversing the mountain border between these four kingdoms." Gardevoir moved the dots stationed on the left, the north-east side of Avia, right onto the border line in between the four kingdoms. I could only assume those dots represented us. "After you arrive, you will meet up with another force from Viperia. After you two meet up," she started moving the dots just as she described our movements, "you will run along the border until you arrive north of the kingdom of Valora. Once you arrive at the top of Valora, you will split apart. All of you will head west and south to attack the Valora forces from behind. The other group will do the same but with Spectra. Your specific paths are highlighted on your maps. If you get to the castle of Valora, surround and besiege. Do not engage the castle directly until you meet up with the main vanguard. This operation will begin tomorrow at 0500, so be prepared. You are dismissed."

All the Pokémon exited the tent.

I was about to do the same, but Gardevoir stopped me, "Hold on ESF2, could you wait until everyone else leaves?"

I looked over at my group. They just gave me confused stares. I nodded and we waited.

Once every Pokémon had left the room, the Gardevoir spoke, "I have special orders for you."

"Special orders?" Bolt asked.

"I hope it's nothing too hard," Current said in a lazy tone.

"Your orders are…different. You will be a rapid response unit. You will follow the rest of the army half way across the border. You will then wait until that army engages the enemy. Once they have, your mission is to assist any point that is struggling to hold off enemy attacks. This can be anywhere in the entire nation, from any of the three armies."

"Wait, what?" Blue asked.

"Basically," I tried to explain, "if anyone needs help we give it, but we only help those that need it."

"Correct," the Gardevoir said, "Naturally, finding spots that need help while you're on the ground will be hard. So, let me introduce you to your operator."

A lone Espeon walked into the room. "Hello, I'm Esilia Sun," the Espeon said cheerily.

I couldn't help but notice she was shaking.

"Esilia will be your operator for this mission. Make sure you follow her instructions."

I nodded, "Will do."

The Gardevoir smiled and said, "That's all I had. I'll leave you to get ready," and walked out of the tent.

I looked over at Esilia. She was still shaking, "Are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine, it's just…" in a flurry of excitement, she squealed, "I'm going to be the operator for Shine's group!"

I resisted the urge to groan.

She spoke with such speed and excitement I could hardly follow, "This is the one thing I was hoping for my entire life! Well, ever since I heard of you. It was so cool how you won all of your battles, I'm honored to be a part of your group." Then softly, "I'm in the same room as Shine! I can't believe this is happening to me!"

Current raised his voice for once, "Hey! Few words or less…and make it slower."

 _That was a bit harsh, but I'm thankful for it._

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just, I'm such a big fan of yours."

I rolled my eyes, "Try to keep your excitement contained when we're on the battlefield. You're our operator so we're putting faith in you. Try not to let your emotions get the better of you."

"Yes ma'am," she saluted with barely contained eagerness, "I was top of my class so I won't let you down."

"Good, and don't call me ma'am," _I don't deserve the title_.

"I don't know ma'am," Plantora mused, "I think it's quite fitting."

I ignored Plantora's jibe and said, "We need to prepare for tomorrow's battle."

I heard a small snort coming from Plantora as I walked out of the tent.

 _You won't get a rise out of me that easily_.

* * *

The mountain road was rather mundane. To any normal Pokémon, this treacherous trail would be a death trap waiting to happen, but for me it just seemed anticlimactic. The trail itself was the size of two Rhyperiors standing side by side. A sheer cliff was to the left, but the vertical wall to the right, and the size of the road in between the two, made it irrelevant. There were places where the rock gave way to the long drop below, but I easily side-stepped them.

"Shine," Plantora's voice called me to a stop.

 _And unfortunately, I was nominated to lead the army. Meaning, I have to wait for them when there's even the tiniest imperfection on the road._

To be fair, the entire road was clogged with the orderly groups of Jolteon's, Flareon's and Espeon's. Whenever they had to cross a gap like this one, they had to break formation and funnel through the remaining road. For the most part, I just sat and watched.

 _It's like Eevee sitting, I really don't like it._ I tried not to think about the fact that I technically was only a fourth year myself.

" _You're a fourth year_!?" the suddenly irritating voice of Esilia practically shouted in my mind.

 _Oh yeah, I forgot about her_.

" _How could you forget about me?! I'm your operator_!"

"Don't look so irritated," Eev said as she sat next to me.

"I'm…I'm not irritated. Well, not at any of this," I quickly tried to defend myself.

" _Oh no. I made her irritated. I'm so sorry_."

" _I could really do with less voice in my head. It's kind of invasive_." I thought in a less than pleasant tone.

" _Okay I'll be quiet now_."

"Dealing with your operator?" Eev questioned with an amused smile.

"Maybe…" I said not wanting to lie to Eev, or disappoint her.

Eev simply chuckled, "Operators may seem invasive at first, but they're what keep our armies organized. Just let them do their jobs."

I shook my head. _I guess I shouldn't be so hard on her. Esilia and the other operators keep this war from falling apart. Speaking of which, the end of the war is fast approaching. I wonder.._.

"Hey Eev?" Eev turned to face me. Her warm smile unnerved me for a second, but I powered through, "the next kingdom we're attacking is Nixitrom right?"

Eev smiled as if understanding what I was going to say next, "Yes you will be part of the vanguard in Nixitrom."

I felt my face light up as I was filled with excitement. "Ooo, I can't wait!" I looked at Eev, "How about you? Excited to go to Nixitrom?"

Eev kept a cool smile, "I do miss the cold winds of Nixitrom, but first we have to get through this battle."

I nodded, "I'll fight with all my heart!"

Eev's expression became stern, "You never know what will happen on the battlefield Shine. I hope nothing happens, but I do know that Nobunaga's best fighters aren't based in Spectra. I don't know where they are, so keep your guard up and stay on edge."

Eev's warning sent shivers through me. _What could be out there that Eev could be so worried about?_

" _I don't know, you two are like the best at everything_."

 _Now even I know that isn't true_.

* * *

I watched everything unfold from the mountain's side. It was no aerial view, but the assaults were still visible. The main force attacked the enemy vanguard to our left. An hour passed as we watched the light show before the second wave hit from the sea in front of us. We had to continue to wait and it was agonizing.

" _Are you sure we're told to wait_?" I asked in my mind.

" _Positive_ ," Esilia said, seemingly distracted, " _Orders directly from Oichi_."

" _There's got to be something that we can do to pass the time_ ," Bolt thought.

" _I could put you directly into the military psychic chatter?_ " Esilia offered.

" _Please_ ," Blue thought without even thinking of what that might mean.

Almost instantaneously, our minds were bombarded with unintelligible thoughts and screams.

As suddenly as it came, it went away.

" _Next time, think about what you're asking for_ ," Eon thought to us, " _only psychic types can properly read and hear the Military Psychic chatter. You should have known that Esilia_."

" _I'm sorry. I just got so excited, I guess I forgot about that_."

I took a moment for my mind to settle from the mental devastation as the headache quickly faded.

I raised my head up to watch the battle, the northern forces to our right were already engaging the enemy.

We had to sit and watch for a few more minutes before we were given the order, " _Okay, Charge_!" Esilia yelled.

As a group, we bolted down the hill and straight into the enemy lines.

" _Okay, your first target is at tile W8. The forces there are pinned down by an enemy steelix_."

I had memorized the map of Valora beforehand and knew exactly where that tile was. We turned right and moved north. We ran through the metal coated province. It was far easier than the uneven terrain of the mountains to run on, but it hurt my paws.

We quickly arrived at our destination and I could see the massive metal snake firing beams of death. We were coming up from behind.

" _Blue, hit him on the right side from the northwest. Dim, cover her_."

Each nodded and broke off.

" _Bolt, stay out of this. Current, stay in. Everyone else do what you do best_."

They all nodded and broke off.

" _This is so awesome_!" I heard Esilia whisper in my mind.

I quickly reached the steely behemoth's tail. I stopped and waited for the perfect opportunity before I fired my Ice Beam.

The shot landed right where the beast touched the ground and froze it in place.

The Steelix quickly spun around and tried firing a flash cannon at me.

I instinctively reacted with a Dig, burrowing under the surface.

" _Now everyone_!" I shouted in my head, " _Oh, and tell me when it's clear_ ," I thought as a side note.

A moment later, " _It's clear_."

I burrowed out of the ground and found the large serpent collapsed. Several Espeon's came up to greet me, showering me with praise.

"Um, thanks and all, but the battle's not exactly over," I sort of felt childish having to say that.

The squad nodded and charged forward.

"What's next," I asked our operator.

* * *

We fought for what seemed like hours, making good head way. Things started to get complicated as we entered the chrome-plated city.

With one last Ice Beam, the Aagron fell.

" _We have stalls at J15, M16, C18 and G13_ ," Esilia desperately shouted between panting breaths.

I was exhausted and annoyed, " _Pick priority_ ," I snapped.

" _Um…uh…G13. G13 is being pushed back_."

I nodded, caught my breath and rushed to the scene.

I kept my eyes alert to the towering buildings around me. Multiple times we had been ambushed from these buildings and I needed to stay on guard.

Fortunately, we weren't far from G13. When we turned the corner, I saw what was causing the trouble.

The four-legged spider, known as Metagross, was hammering a few Jolteons who were trying to escape.

" _Bolt, Dim! Get on the rooves! Blue, get into firing position! Current, cover her. Eon, keep your distance and pelt it with chip damage. Plantora, follow me_."

With each order they dispersed. Bolt and Dim took to the high ground. Blue and Current stopped and I lost sight of them. Eon disappeared and the only one I could see was Plantora.

Together, we rushed the great beast.

Plantora moved around the left side and slashed it with a leaf blade.

I dove underneath and used Icy Wind.

The beast quickly turned to face Plantora and I was able to get out from under it.

The Metagross jumped to the side with incredible speed, revealing a flamethrower headed straight for my face!

I just barely ducked to the side, letting the flames pass. Black soot covered my once white fur.

I wasn't given any room to breathe as the Metagross launched itself at me.

I once again dodged to the side.

" _Its attention is on me! Use the opportunity_." I mentally shouted.

" _Bolt to the rescue_ ," the yellow spiked Pokémon thought before dashing from the roof and landing atop the Metagross.

I could hear and see the sparks of electricity that arced in and out of the metal as Bolt tried to fry the metal beast.

The Metagross's metal cross lit up and Bolt was thrown to the side by a telekinetic aura.

Plantora came in for a quick strike with her blades before retreating.

The behemoth then looked to Blue as if anticipating an attack from that direction.

It lunged forward at speeds I never thought a steel type could reach.

I rushed to keep up, but it was too fast.

The Metagross tried to use Meteor Mash but ended up hitting a title wave.

Current tried his best to wash the metal away, but it wouldn't budge.

I fired an Ice Beam at the torrent of water.

The entire wall froze into a beautiful sculpture.

I arrived right when the ice was pierced by a Meteor Mash.

I tried to back peddle, but my paws fell out from under me as my momentum carried me forward.

Right when the hammer was about to fall on me, Dim rushed from the ice above me and slammed his back paw straight into the top of the Metagross.

I used the opening to get out from under the giant.

It continued to rush at me even as a flaming gale pierced the ice and almost pierced the metal beast.

I suddenly came up with an idea, " _Everyone, I have a plan_!"

" _It better not get you hurt like the last battle_!" Plantora said in a hurry.

I dodged a Metal claw, " _It shouldn't, I just need to get close. Once I've restrained him, Blue launch the hottest flamethrower you can muster_."

The Metagross raised its arm, trying to use Brick Break.

I took the opportunity to run underneath.

It wasted no time in trying to squash me with its center.

I quickly darted out from under it towards the beast's legs, just narrowly missing the crunching attack.

I grabbed onto the leg and used Icy Wind to nail myself down with ice. I let my body temperature drop as well.

I quickly turned and used Blizzard to bind the Metagross to the ice.

" _NOW_!" I shouted at Blue.

" _Give me a second_ ," Blue's reply was not want I wanted to hear right now.

The Metagross broke from its ice restraints and tried to throw me off its arm.

I fired an expertly aimed Ice Beam right at the steely joint, locking it midair.

" _Now! Now! NOW_!"

" _Almost done_ …"

The Metagross's cross lit up and I felt a force ripping at my flesh.

" _Any time now, Blue_!"

I fired an Ice Beam right into his eye. It missed, but it did succeed in breaking his concentration.

I blew another Blizzard. This time it was only effective in slowing his movements for one painful second.

"NOW!" I shrieked with as much force as I could muster.

I saw the Metagross's eyes widen at my scream.

It turned to see Blue's mouth was aflame and right next to the beast.

A huge current of pure fire blasted from the fire types mouth.

The red flames completely engulfed the Metagross, but I was suspended just above the gale.

I could feel the heat searing my skin.

The metal leg began to crumple and my ice restraints melted.

The ice could no longer bear my weight and I fell into the raging inferno.


	17. Chapter 17 Beginning to Shine

I watched in horror as I saw Shine fall into Blue's flames.

" _STOP! BLUE STOP_!" I shouted desperately in my mind.

The torrent of flame dissipated.

Shine rested right next to the metagross, unmoving.

I rushed into the burning orange chrome, straight to Shine's side.

She lay unconscious.

The metagross started to stir.

"Get her out of there Eon!" Plantora shouted.

I lifted her with my telekinesis and jumped to the side, right before another gale of flames struck the metal beast.

I set her down gently as Plantora, Bolt and Dim came up.

"Come on Shine, wake up," Bolt said shaking her limp form.

"She's fainted," Plantora said with anxiety, "we have to get her out of here."

"I can take her," Bolt offered, "I'm the fastest here. I can rush to the front and drop her off like I did with Blue in Cragspur."

" _Yes…uh…do that_." I took a nervous breath as Bolt lifted Shine onto her back, " _Alright..._ " I thought in a shaky tone, " _…we can still keep fighting. Esilia, where's the next problem area?_ "

Esilia thought in a terrified trance, " _Shine was defeated, Shine was defeated. If shine was beaten, no Pokémon can beat it…_ "

" _ESILIA_!" I shouted through my mind while trying to suppress the urge to panic with her.

Before I heard a response, I heard a…no, felt, a footstep. "BOLT, LEAVE NOW!"

Bolt shot off straight ahead of me, but it was too late.

The chrome plating crumpled as the ginormous metal sphere fell in front of Bolt.

The steel sphere brought a Hammer Arm down on Bolt.

She tried to dodge, but was moving too fast.

The arm fell right down on her.

She quickly darted away after the hit landed and moved back to us.

" _That wasn't so bad_."

My anger boiled at the callous comment Bolt had made, " _Shine took the hit_!"

All amusement drained from Bolt's face as she quickly tossed Shine off her back to see her condition.

I felt a shift in the air and quickly dodged a Flash Canon.

" _This…this isn't over yet. P…Plantora, make sure Shine's okay. Everyone else move to engage the legendary_." I could hardly stop thinking about Shine, but now wasn't the time. We have to stop this thing before it tears us apart.

My friends all moved to fight the Registeel.

" _Esilia! Call for backup_!" I tried to get through to the panicking Espeon to no avail, " _looks like we have to do this the old fashion way. Blue, make a flare_!"

" _On it_ ," the Flareon thought before I saw a of fire ball shoot into the sky and explode in a flurry of red sparks.

I wasn't the only one to see it. The Registeel pinpointed Blue's position from the flare and charged.

Fortunately, the ball of steel was far slower than the block of steel earlier. Blue reacted to the slow charge with a fire spin.

The steel ball seemed unaffected and, when it got close, it struck the ground with Bulldoze.

We were all thrown back by the move with Blue taking most of the beating.

 _What do I do? How do I beat this when even Shine couldn't? What next? What should I tell them to do next? Come on brain, think faster_!

I watched as I saw the Steel goliath advance on Blue. I had flash backs of what happened just minutes ago. " _Get him away from Blue_!"

Current's title wave tried to push the beast to the side, but it didn't budge.

Bolt came from the rooftops and arced electricity straight into the water.

The beast let out an inhuman scream.

After a moment of rest, Blue managed to link up with the rest of us and the metal creature turned to us.

Another Flash Canon struck. We weren't lucky enough to dodge the attack.

I was thrown back to the ground.

Crippled with pain, I got up and fired a Psybeam at the steel wall to no effect. _Why am I so useless! I can't do anything. I can't lead like Shine can. I can't fight this thing on my own. I can't even keep my friend's safe._

" _But you stepped up and you tried. You can't create miracles without trying_. _We wouldn't have been able to get here in time without you keeping the group working together._ " I was completely shocked to hear my mom's voice in my head. I turned to see her standing atop the roof, assessing the situation.

A wall of sheer ice sprouted from nowhere and separated us from the Registeel.

" _Alright everyone_ ," Eev's distinct authoritative voice brought me to attention, " _We'll hold off the Registeel long enough for the ESF2 to make their exit, then we'll lure it to the vanguard. Make haste and do what you do best._ "

" _Right_!" a chorus of voices chanted in my head.

The Registeel broke through the ice and charged at our still recovering group.

" _Everyone look out_!" Everyone but the sluggish Current dodged out of the way. I rushed to the still recovering Current and pulled him to the side.

Another Jolteon appeared on the roof and blasted the metal with its electricity, "Hey!" Jolt shouted with irritation, "I'm over here. Don't Ignore me!"

" _It's trying to take you guys out while you're down, get out of here_!" Eev commanded.

I saw the rest of the ESF1 charge through the breach in the ice, trying desperately to change to focus of the steel giant.

" _Come on everyone, let's move!_ " I picked up Shine with my telekinesis and together we ran.

* * *

The world faded away and I found myself back in the infirmary.

Eon pulled away as her memory ended and she broke the link between us.

I re-examined the infirmary. All my friends sat around my cot desperately awaiting my return to reality. I felt the cool touch of an ice bed below me, but what unnerved me the most was the fact that I couldn't feel the cool ice in my lower body. I glanced down to see my lower half completely covered in bandages.

"Alright then…" I spoke slowly, terrified of what may come next, "how bad is it?"

Eon shied away from the question.

"You're back is broken," Current said, "you can't use your back legs"

My eye's widened.

I tried to lift my back legs.

Nothing happened.

I tried to force them to stretch.

Nothing happened.

I put every ounce of strength into getting them to move.

Nothing happened.

I looked back at my friends and asked cheerfully, "They'll get better, right?"

They all looked away from me.

"R…Right?" I said with a hint of desperation.

"We don't know," Plantora stepped up with her soothing voice. The voice she usually reserves for my worst injuries, "the audino are trying their best to come up with a way to help you, but they don't even know if it's possible."

 _No, it can't be._

I fell back in bed.

I desperately tried to raise my legs.

 _I have to use my legs_.

I tried to force them up again to no avail.

 _I need them!_

Nothing happened.

 _I need them to help my friends!_

Half my body shook.

 _I don't want to be useless again!_

An icy tear came to my eye.

I looked around and noticed all my friends watching me with concern.

"It's okay," _suck it up Shine_ , "you all did your best," _I can't make them worry about me_ , "it's my fault for falling into the flames," _I don't want to drag them down too_.

Blue walked right up to my face.

 _I don't care what happens to me, as long as you're safe_ …

Blue lifted her right paw and punched me straight in the face.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" She screamed with pure rage, "YOU'RE ALWAYS DOING THIS!" It felt like a flood gate had opened as she yelled every word, "You're always fighting like this! Like nothing in the world matters to you anymore! You get beaten bloody, and you always shake it off like its nothing! NOTHING!" Blue started to choke up, "What about us. Don't you care about us."

The punch to the face was nothing compared to the stab in the heart.

Blue broke down, sobbing in front of me.

 _That's not it at all, Blue. I'm trying to protect you because I care about you._

Plantora put a paw on Blue's back trying to comfort her, "She's right," Plantora spoke calmly, "every time you're in here, it hurts me. Every time you say, 'it's okay' when it's not, it hurts me. You're my friend and I don't want to see you get hurt any more than you want to see me get hurt. I want to help you. We all do."

I looked around to see different expressions on the faces of my friends.

"She's right," Eon said, not meeting my gaze.

"Just stop please. It hurts to see you run the wrong way," a tear dripped from Bolt's eye.

"You're one of the only things I care about. Stop destroying yourself," Current said with the most concern I've ever heard from her.

Dim's somber expression told me everything.

I couldn't hold back any longer as my frozen tears trickled down my face. I cried. I cried for the first time since I was a little eevee being beat up by Blue.

"I'm sorry," I whimpered between breaths.

Blue embraced me.

We sobbed into each other.

I felt the other ten paws link around me. I sobbed harder into Blue's soft fur.

 _I think I now know what that dream meant._

* * *

I lay on my side in my ice bed. I wanted to shift my body to another side, but it wouldn't respond to my commands. I grasped my little bamboo flute in my ice appendages, playing a soft, somber melody. I had been playing for days. It's was all I could do.

I felt a presence, a cold presence.

I stopped playing my flute and put it on the table next to my bed, "Hi, Eev."

Eev stepped into my vision with the same cool expression Eev always wore. Normally I would be excited to see my idol, but I found it hard to be excited about anything.

"Hello Shine, I've got some good news and some bad news," only my ears perked up, "the good news is your spine can be healed," I turned my head straight to Eev, trying to detect if she was serious.

"It can be healed?" I asked as hope welled up inside me.

Eev nodded.

I bounced up and down in glee. Well, tried. I only managed to bounce half way, making one side of my body fly awkwardly in the air.

"But," _and here it is, the bad news_ , "It'll take two months and we are attacking Nixitrom next month."

My enthusiasm died. _I'll…I'll miss Nixitrom. I'll miss the cold winds, I'll miss being with Eev again. I'll break my promise to Gothia_.

"It…It's fine. Nixitrom is just one battle, I'd rather have my back legs then go to only one battle the rest of my life."

Eev didn't seem to buy it, "I'm sorry, but I can't change the time table. When your healed, I have special leave for you. I hope you'll like it."

 _Special leave? Wait_ , "Eev, where am I?"

Eev smiled her warm smile, "you're in Aurora. We couldn't fix you anywhere else."

 _I'm in Aurora! I'm home?!_

As if reading my mind, "Just wait, as part of your treatment, you will walk around your home town. It's not much of a treat, but it's all that I can give you for now."

Eev started walking away.

"Did you know about Blue?" I asked.

Eev stopped in her tracks, "Know what?" Eev asked, a little too innocently.

"About how she bullied me?"

Eev smiled her warm smile and walked out of the room.

* * *

The two months spent in my medical room went by agonizingly slowly. Fortunately, I got really good at playing my flute. My friends stopped by each day and often brought me new sheet music to play. Eev showed up a few times with some of the castle busting team. I even had two visits from the Master and Mistress. Then, the day finally came when I could be discharged from the hospital.

The warm morning air touched my skin as I walked out of the Audino Medical Facility. Normally, I would dislike the warm air, but today I was walking out with my friends and I couldn't be happier.

"Are you sure you're okay Shine?" Plantora asked for the third time.

"I'm fine really," I tried to ease her concern.

"Besides," Bolt interrupted, "she would collapse before she told you she wasn't fine."

Giggles filled the air.

"That's what I'm worried about," Plantora responded, "are you sure you're fine?"

I sighed, _is this going to become a thing?_ "Well if it makes you happy, my back legs are a bit stiff."

"That's just because you haven't used them. Nothing to concern yourself over."

"I don't know," Eon said, "With Shine around, there's always something to be concerned about."

"Oh no," Current faked concern, "a giant legendary bird is flying straight for us."

Giggles and our light chatter filled the warm morning air of winter as we walked down the empty streets of the Eevee village.

I noticed that our noise garnered onlookers that watched in awe.

"Where are we going?" Eon asked.

"I'd remember this route any day," Blue said, "we're going back to school."

I blushed at the remark, "I just wanted to take a look."

"It'll be fun to see the school again," Bolt said.

"Bad memories for me," Current stated lazily, "they wanted me to do so much work when I couldn't care less about any of it."

"I always wanted to see what the famous eevee school was like," Eon remarked.

Bolt, Current, Blue and I stared at Eon.

"What?"

"I would've thought you'd gone to school, too," Blue said.

"I did go to school," she said defensively, "I just went to school in Illusio…alone…"

"Okay…" _changing the subject_ , "…we're here!" _that was convenient_.

The one-story building that housed the school stood before us. I don't know why but the school seemed smaller than I remembered.

We walked through the front door. Instantly, an eevee almost as tall as me came up to us. I remember this one being the principle, "Ahh welcome ESF2 to our fine school house. May I ask, what brings you here to the best school for eevee's?"

 _But it's the only school for eevee's_ , "We just came to look around is all," I spoke for everyone.

"Ahh yes, we're honored to have you. Take as much time as you need," the principle spoke kindly. I don't remember him being this kind, but then again, I don't remember much about him at all.

My group split in different directions. I could only chuckle as I saw Eon head straight for the library.

I walked down the halls reminiscing on the life I once had. I remembered creeping down these very halls in the early morning. I remembered Blue staring me down even when I was trying to hide in the crowd. Only now I realize, I don't have many happy memories of this place.

I found my home room and walked in. Everything was far smaller than I remembered. Even the chairs looked tiny.

I walked over to a seat in the middle, where I once always situated myself. I tried to squeeze myself in the little chairs. I could hardly believe I had gotten so big.

I examined the room that had once filled my younger life. I looked straight ahead and was surprised by a memory of joy. The first one I ever felt in this school. The time when Eev had shown up before our class so long ago.

I heard a shuffle outside. Not something I would have detected normally, but thanks to my enhanced hearing I was able to pick it up.

I turned my head to the back door. There, I saw two little eevee's watching me in awe.

I smiled and got out of the cramped seat.

I slowly walked up to them. They were so star struck that they didn't realize I was coming to greet them.

"Hi, I'm Shiny Snow," I introduced myself formally.

"I must be dreaming," one of the eevee's said.

I chuckled, "No, this is very much real," I told the little eevees.

"I can't believe it," the other said, "you're The Shine! I'm Terili. I'm going to be a Leafeon. Someday, I'll fight with you!" she boldly exclaimed.

"Nice to meet you Terili. What year are you in?" I asked in a gentle tone.

"I'm a fifth year!" she cheered.

 _Crap she's older than me!_

"Well that's nice," My kind demeaner slipped a little, "I hope you pass your tests and fight hard."

"Can I get you to sign this!" The other eevee held up a cute scarf.

 _Yes, something I'm familiar with_ , "Sure, what do you want it to say?"

"Just say 'to my biggest fan, Shine'" I couldn't help but giggle at the cute way he spoke those words.

I signed the scarf, "are you two friends?" I asked them.

They both nodded, "Terili is my best friend!"

I brought my appendage up to draw attention to my ice flower, "You see this? My friends gave it to me after the old one broke. They went through several challenges to get it for me and they did it just because I was sad about the old one breaking," _and because they broke it in the first place_ , "stay together. Stay friends. No matter where you go or what you do." They looked mystified at my words. I patted the two eevee's on the head, "I have to head out now. Be sure to do your best."

They both nodded with huge grins on their faces.

I walked into the hall.

"Mom will freak out," I stopped as I heard one of the eevee's say that.

I smiled, _I think its high time I went to go talk to my family._

I looked through the window to see Plantora looking at the plants in the garden outside. I opened the window and said, "I'm going to go see my parents. When you're done, could you get everyone to come back to the castle, I'll meet you there."

With Plantora's nod, I jetted out of the school. I traveled the road that I ran on all too often in my youth. This time, instead of crying, I was excited.

I arrived at my parent's house. I knocked on the door, eager to tell them about my adventures and my friends.


	18. Chapter 18 Dragnor

I sat in a vast conference room in Valora with my group. Instead of a table, there was a huge map of Ransei detailing the positions of all the Warriors and Pokémon in our kingdom. I sat next to the Mistress at the head of the room. On the other side of the Mistress, was the Master and the ESF1. I felt a little intimidated by the Mistress and Master's Dragonites that towered behind us. In front of us, two long rows of Warriors and their partner Pokémon sat in front of the map. The Castle Busting Team were the Warriors who sat closest to us. Not a word was spoken. I could feel the tense atmosphere through the thick layer of silence that filled the room.

The Master stood as he spoke, piercing the silence, "This is it," he addressed the entire room with a booming voice, "the final battle against Nobunaga. In theory, this should be a cake walk. We have the numbers advantage. We have the strength advantage. We even have the advantage of superior mobility."

"But," the Mistress stood, "if I've learned anything over these past sixteen years, it's that you never underestimate a cornered opponent. Nobunaga will try anything to win."

"You can't possibly think he will win this?" a voice came from the seated crowd, "He should have surrendered by now."

"We are currently unsure of what Nobunaga's goals are," the Mistress said before being cut off by another Warrior.

"Isn't it obvious? He's after the legend. He wants to capture all of the kingdoms so he can meet the legendary Pokémon who made us all…"

"That's just a myth. Do you really believe that such a thing exists?" Another Warrior broke in.

"We can't be certain about what he's after," the Mistress's voice silenced the room, "all we know, is that he's still fighting. All of you have to be on guard and treat this like the battle for Valora and Spectra. One misstep and we all go down."

The Master made his way onto the floor map, "By taking Nixitrom, we've already encircled Nobunaga's capital of Dragnor. This will do little for us though. Dragnor is a hilly country and land attacks will be limited to the roads. We will rely on our air force to do the brunt of the scouting and fighting. We're locating the main base of the Staraptor air force at north Spectra." The master moved a few statues of staraptors to the north of Spectra, "The ESF1, ESF2, CBT, all the Eevee Divisions and the most powerful Warriors will join us in the main conquest of Dragnor." He moved little statuettes into Dragnor. I couldn't help but feel proud as I saw a little statue that represented me.

The Mistress stood and took the Master's place, "From our scouting reports, we've learned that Nobunaga has positioned his remaining forces across his borders. Nobunaga's strongest forces are posted in the Dragnor castle with Nobunaga himself. The concerning part is that we have not found a single one of the other enemy Warlords that Nobunaga has recruited. We suspect they are preparing an ambush. We don't need any fancy tricks for this battle. We will prepare five waves. The first wave will come in the front door, traveling along the road from Valora to Dragnor. They will test the enemy defenses. The second wave will support the first wave's retreat if things get ugly or reinforce the first wave if things go smoothly. The third wave will come from Spectra after the first wave has engaged. The fourth wave will support the third. The fifth wave will come in through the north of Dragnor. The back is all mountains, so we will use fewer numbers and more maneuverable troops. That is the sum of the mission, take things slowly and do not rush the castle. Dismissed."

The room full of people and Pokémon started shuffling out.

I started to make my way out too.

"Um, Shine," I froze when I heard the Mistress call my name. _The Mistress is calling for me?!_ I was filled with excitement as I turned to face her, "could you stay behind for a bit? Alone?"

My friends looked at me.

I signaled them to leave and they did so.

Once the room cleared out, I was left alone with the Mistress, the Master and Eev.

"So, you heard the speech," the Master said, "where do you think the enemy would hold a surprise attack?"

I walked onto the floor map and examined the terrain carefully. One spot however, stood out like a sore thumb.

"What is that tall tower?" I asked.

"It's the infinite tower," the Master said.

"Infinite tower? If you told me to prepare an ambush, I'd say that tower is where I would put it."

"One problem though," Eev explained, "the tower has no entrance and no one has ever made it to the top."

"Then why would they build a tower just to seal it?" I asked.

"From what we can gather, no one built it. It's been there since before recorded history."

"The legend," the Mistress said deep in thought, "perhaps this has something to do with it. Perhaps Nobunaga is planning on doing something with the legend. In which case, he wouldn't put his strongest fighters up to defend the castle, but instead he would save them for when the legend comes true."

"If the legend is true, then we will spring Nobunaga's trap." I said, "If it isn't true, then we'll still have to fight off Nobunaga's remnants. Either way, this war won't be over after Dragnor has been taken."

The Master sighed, "I'll prepare the necessary reinforcements."

"That's all I wanted to discuss with you two," the Mistress told Eev and I, "you are dismissed."

Eev shot me a smile as we walked out of the room. That smile had me walking on air.

"Uh, Shine," a voice stopped me. I turned to see Espy waiting by the door.

"Espy? It's good to see you."

"Good to see you too," her voice seemed to lack the enthusiasm of her words, "Can I ask you to do something? Something for Eon?"

My ears went up as I heard my friends name, "Like what?"

"I want you to stay out of the battle for Dragnor."

"And that effects Eon how?" I asked.

Espy spoke as if ashamed of the words, "It has to do with her father. I tried to keep it hidden from her, but she's a smart girl and I think she's figured it out. I already discussed it with Eev, you will receive a rear position. I know it's selfish of me, but could you please stay out of the battle? Keep her out of battle?"

I smiled, "Of course. If it's for Eon, I'll gladly stay behind."

Espy let out a relieved sigh, "Thank you. That's a huge burden off my chest." She stared intently at me for a moment, "you know, with that smile you look just like Eev."

Espy started to walk off.

I was overjoyed at the comment. _She said I look just like Eev! Like Eev!_ But my thoughts faltered at the faint whisper I heard from her.

"Eev could learn a thing or two from you."

* * *

" _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry_ ,"

This was beginning to get on my nerves.

" _For the nth time Esilia, it's okay. I'm okay, no one else got hurt. Just try not to do it again_."

" _It's just, you told me to keep my emotions in check, and I failed you Shine! I'm sorry_."

I took in a frustrated breath and let it out, "I want something to fight."

"You just now thought of that?" Blue said with obvious disdain, "it's the final battle and we're stuck up in the northern mountains doing literally nothing!"

"I'm sorry," I used an authoritative voice that allowed for no argument, "but Eev's orders are to remain in the rear and catch any of Nobunaga's retreating forces."

Blue grumbled angrily.

I looked out at the castle in the distance. It was black, like the mountains, making it hard to see. The sounds and explosions of fighting allowed me to pinpoint exactly where it was against the black background. I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret as an explosion filled the sky with orange light and white sparks.

 _Why did Eev have to place us in sight of a battle we can't fight in. This is such a tease._

Plantora gazed at me, as if reading my thoughts, before saying, "You know, this reminds me of a time in the army."

We all looked at her.

"How so?" I asked

"Well, me and my squad were often posted as defensive garrisons in Illiusio. The mountains here look quite the same as those mountains. With my squad, we would sit there for days with nothing to do."

"How'd you do it?" Bolt asked, "I can't sit still for more than an hour."

"You learn patience and we told each other stories."

"Oh, stories might be fun!" I said, eager to hear a good story.

"I'll go first," Plantora said, "Once, a long time ago, I was just a lone eevee in Greenleaf. This was long before the school you know of. I wandered the wild forests, searching for food. I stumbled across an odd rock in the forest. A tall Warrior was standing near the rock with a Leafeon. I hid in the bushes.

"Hey Leaf," the Warrior said, "I would like you to take the lead in the battle against Shingen in Terrera."

"I'd love to Master, but the Mistress has asked that I support her and Umbre with Kenshin in Illusio," Leaf said.

"But you're super effective against ground types. Why does she need you in Illusio?"

"I don't know. She just wants me there."

"I really need you for Terrera. If this is going to become a problem going forward, we need to…"

A piercing lance struck my back. I jumped out of the bushes and turned to see a grovyle gearing up for an attack.

This wasn't the first wild Pokémon I had come to face. I zoomed up close and nailed it with a quick attack.

Usually that phases most wild Pokémon, but this grovyle was rather tough. He quickly returned my attack with one of his Leafblades.

I tried to dodge, but he was too fast. I was knocked back by the blades. I quickly recovered, knowing my life depended on it.

I dodged the pursuing grovyle as it sliced at me.

I rushed underneath the grovyle and managed to get behind it. I tackled it's back, but only managed to make him flinch a little.

It turned and tried to slice at me again. All I could do was cover my head with my paws. My arms erupted in agony as they took the brunt of the blades. It felt like they were slicing clear through my arms. I put all my strength into pushing the blade back, but I was losing ground.

Something started to change within me. A light glowed around me. I found the strength to push the blade back and throw the grovyle off balance.

I then leaped at the creature and, with green blades of my own, sliced the grovile until it fainted.

"I think I just found your solution Master," Leaf's voice stated behind me."

And that was how it all started." Plantora finished her story.

"All started?" I asked.

"How the whole, keep eevee's in reserve thing, got started. That idea eventually turned into eevee divisions."

"Wow, so you were the first eevee who wasn't in the ESF1?" Bolt asked in awe.

"Most Pokémon don't believe me when I tell that story. I'm glad that you do," Plantora said with a smile.

"I can see why," Eon stated, "it's kind of a farfetched story."

"My turn! My turn!" Bolt quickly took control of the conversation. "Okay my story takes place a long time ago, back when Jolt was taking care of me.

I ran through the forest trailing sparks behind me. I weaved through the trees, jumped over bushes and slid under logs. The wind rushed through my electrified mane. I was exhilarated.

"This time. This time you won't catch me."

I smiled and looked behind me. Jolt whizzed through the trees, hot on my tail.

"Not this time Jolt," I whispered.

I dashed through the foliage before I was blinded by a light. When I could open my eyes again, I was dangling over a cliff with the ocean below me.

"AAAAAAugh!" I screamed and flailed about.

"Stop screaming already! You're going to blow my ear drums." I looked up to see Jolt grasping my fur between his teeth.

I quickly ignored the minor pain from my fur and climbed away from certain doom.

"You've got to be more aware of your surroundings Bolt," Jolt scolded me, "You can't rush into a situation without knowing where it will lead."

I felt ashamed disappointing Jolt, "I'm sorry."

"That being said," his voice became lighter, "you managed to make it all the way from Aurora to the southern coast in less than an hour. That's amazing!"

My disappointment instantly turned to pure glee as I registered the complement. _Oh my gosh, he said I was amazing!_

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

I brought myself out of my thoughts to see what he was talking about. I gaped as I was captivated by the sunset. The blinding orange ball glistened just above the horizon, the water reflecting its orange gaze. The rhythmic sound of waves crashing into the stone wall below us. The orange sea reached out for the horizon.

"You know, your parents and I used to wonder if there was anything beyond that sea," Jolt whispered as he stared deep into the setting sun.

"What?" I asked, not quite hearing what he said.

"I said, your parents and I used to see these kinds of things all over Ransei."

"Really!" I breathed with a huge smile. _They got to see things like this all the time!_

"Yeah, we did! Although, there were far more beautiful viewing spots around Ransei. Like Illusio. The floating boulders sparkled with the setting sun, painting the whole nation in a wonderful combination of pink and orange."

I was so entranced by his stories that I didn't notice the tear."

"You seriously didn't notice that?" Eon asked.

"Hey, it took me quite a long time to figure out what was going on. I was only just a kid," Bolt said defensively.

"So, that's why you wanted to join the army?" I questioned.

"Pretty much, yeah," Bolt said, "I had always had the dream, but that moment sealed it for me."

"I liked the story. I can't think of what it would be like without my family though," Current said.

I noticed Eon looking a little somber.

A pinkish beam lanced out from the castle headed straight for us! It hit the mountain above, raining huge boulders down upon us.

I just barely dodged the falling rocks.

I looked behind me to see if the rest of my group had been hit. To my astonishment, I saw Eon weaving through the falling rocks like it was nothing.

When everything became still, I did a roll call.

"Wow, Eon. When did you get moves like that?" Bolt asked the psychic type.

"Well," Eon hesitated to respond, "it's a move actually, Detect."

"Can I learn that move?" Bolt asked.

"No," Eon hesitated before she said, "only Espeons can learn it."

"Aw, dang." Bolt huffed as she kicked the ground, "And it was a really cool move, too."

I saw Eon look a little dejected.

"Hey, Bolt. I think I saw something over by that mountain. Can you go check it out," I asked.

"Will do."

"Hey, I'm coming with you," Blue interjected, "I'm not letting you have the only battle in this entire mission."

"Fine," I said, "both of you check it out."

The pair rushed off.

"Hey Current. could you go stand over there," I pointed at a spot off by the mountain with my ice appendage.

Current didn't care to argue.

"Plantora could you give us some privacy?" I asked the Leafeon.

She just smiled and walked off.

I shot Dim a silent plea. He gave a subtle nod and, with a soft smile, walked into the shadows.

"What's going on Shine?" Eon asked warily.

"You want to talk about it?" I asked.

"Talk about wha…" her eyes went wide, "how come you're the only one who figures this stuff out?"

I just stared at her and raised an eyebrow in silent query.

"Detect isn't a move that only Espeons can learn. In fact, no eevee can naturally learn it. I inherited this move from my father."

"You know who your father is?" I asked incredulously.

"I did some research," Eon gazed down away from my sight, "and that's him right there."

I quickly followed her gaze down into the valley below us and saw a Warrior and his Lucario running away from Dragnor.

"T…The Lucario?!"

"Yeah, and I think I'm going to pay him a visit," I heard Eon say, biting back her anger.

She rushed off down the hill.

"No! Wait!" I shouted, but she was already too far to hear. "Sorry Espy," I muttered and ran after Eon.

We chased the pair as they ran off towards the mountains.

Eon fired a Psybeam, catching their attention.

They turned to face us.

Eon used Psychic, thrusting them up in the air before throwing them back to the ground. I saw anger in her eyes as she rushed to the Lucario.

I could barely keep up with the movements of the raging Espeon. I decided to keep out of her way by pinning Lucario's Master.

"Why'd you leave?! Why'd you leave Mom?!" she shouted furiously.

"Wh…what?" the Lucario asked lamely not knowing what was happening.

This only seemed to piss her off more, "Espy! Why did you leave Espy?!"

"I was…wait a minute," something clicked in the Lucario as he sat stunned.

A rush of wind demanded our attention, but before we could look we were struck by lightning.

Zeckrom floated down, protecting the Lucario and its master. I saw Nobunaga climb off his Zeckrom, "are you alright Ranmaru?"

"Yeah," the grey robed Warrior said in pain, "just got ambushed."

"Good. We're leaving," Nobunaga said matter-of-factly.

"Wait!" the Lucario said to Nobunaga, "just give me a minute to speak to them."

Nobunaga glanced at us, then the area around us, "Very well, but make it quick. The enemy army is at our heels."

The Lucario slowly walked up to us, "I'm sorry I left," I could see Eon shooting daggers at her father, "But…I never knew that she had my child and I never knew she worked for the enemy. I had to leave for both our sakes."

I could see that Eon didn't accept this, but before she could retort the huge hand of Zeckrom scooped up the Lucario.

"They're here. We're leaving."

The legendary electric type zoomed across the mountainous terrain and out of sight.

I turned to see the ESF1 charging straight at us.

They stopped in front of us, "Where's Nobunaga?" Eev asked between pants.

"I think he's long gone," I said, shooting a quick glance at Eon. I couldn't see her face.

Eev gave one big, long, irritated sigh, "Round up your group and head back to the castle. We're heading back ourselves."

"Wait," I stopped them, "could I borrow Espy for a bit."

Both Eev and Espy seemed surprised. Eev looked at me intently, then at Eon. She finally said, "Sure, if Eon is that badly hurt, I guess you'll need another psychic type. Espy stay and help Shine gather her group. Everyone else, off to the castle."

The ESF1, minus Espy, charged off towards Dragnor castle.

"Alright," Espy said, "shall we begin rounding up your other members?"

"Why'd dad leave?" Eon forced the anguished words out.

Espy hesitated for a long moment before saying softly, "I don't know. I think he left because we're on different sides of the battlefield…"

"That doesn't mean anything. He could have deserted!" Eon protested by slamming her paw on the ground.

"I think it was because Nobunaga was his Warlord."

"What does he have to do with any of this!" Eon yelled.

"Because Nobunaga wouldn't take desertion of his own troops well. It would probably have led to both of us being assassinated."

"Nobunaga wouldn't…" Eon's resolve began to falter.

"Nobunaga would do absolutely anything to remove whatever stood in his way. Even mention of desertion would have been swiftly dealt with by Nobunaga himself."

Eon ducked her head, all fight draining from her.

"You are a strong and independent Espeon. You don't need your father to be the best you."

I saw a light out of the corner of my eye. I looked over at the top of Dragnor castle as it began to glow. That light then shot up into the sky. Soon the entire sky was filled with these lights, all coming from different places but headed to the same spot. The top of the infinity tower.

Esilia spoke in my head, " _Um, Shine, Eev is requesting you and your group back immediately. She says it's an emergency_."

"Time to go Eon," I stated.

Eon wiped away a tear, "Yeah, time to go to work."

* * *

Dragnor castle loomed ominously to my right, but it was minuscule compared to the tall tower that stood before us. I tried to see the top. All I could make out was a faint glow.

I was part of a large group that consisted of the strongest Pokémon of our nation.

"What do you think's going on?" One of the Pokémon near me asked.

"What's that light?"

"I don't care about the light, look at the door."

I had to agree with that last statement. The entrance to the tower seemed to be layered with a thin, transparent, yellowish film. I had no idea what it was.

"We're climbing the tower," the Mistress commanded.

The Mistress and Master lead the charge into the castle and through the film. No one else could pass.

"Hey what's going on?!" I heard angry shouts.

"Why can't we pass."

"Don't worry," the Mistress addressed them, "wait here until we return."

I never made it to the film and ended up following the crowd back.

For a moment, everything turned black and I saw a mirror of me entering through the film.

My senses returned to me, but it felt like I wasn't in control of my own body. I inched forward out of the crowd towards the Master and Mistress.

"It's okay Shine," the Master said, "We'll be back as soon as we can."

I ignored their voices and stunned them all as I passed through the film. I looked over and waved my friends to come. Sure enough, each of them were able to pass through the barrier.

Eev and her group tried to pass through the barrier, but were blocked.

"Mistress, Master," Eev said with concern, "surely you can't think about going on without us?"

"Don't worry Eev," the Master said, "we have Shine with us."

Eev looked pained.

The Mistress elbowed the Master in the gut, "That's not what he meant Eev," she tried to comfort Eev, "I don't want to leave you behind, but we must go, I'm sorry."

"No apology needed," Eev said hiding her feelings, "It must be done."

Eev came as close to me as the barrier would allow, "Keep them safe for me." Eev winked before turning away.

I could only nod in response.

I could see the faces of the worried Pokémon and Warriors as the Master's faded into the tower.

I saw a glimpse of Eev's blue coat before it disappeared in the crowd. _I will keep them safe_ , I thought with steely resolve before racing after the Masters.

All that existed inside the tower was a single staircase that spiraled upward against the wall.

We started to climb.


	19. Chapter 19 Infinity Tower

With each step I climbed, I became increasingly twitchy. I watched the floor, the walls and the pit anticipating an ambush at any moment.

I could barely contain my anxiety.

Noticing my distress, Eon gently tried to sooth me, "Hey, maybe you need to calm down a little."

"Calm down a little?!" I snapped, "we're climbing a flight of stairs, exposed to a surprise attack from Nobunaga. Not to mention whatever else is in here."

"I know how anxious you are Shine," Plantora spoke with experience, "but you need to take a deep breath and have a level head."

I stopped and tried to gather my composure. Our group stopped behind me.

"I'm sorry for snapping. I'm just concerned that you'll get hurt. This is a very restrictive stair case."

"We can handle ourselves," Current piped up from the back. He stepped through the crowd and continued to climb. With a sly grin he said, "No need for you to worry about us so much. We all dictate the currents together after all. So just relax and go with our flow."

I smiled at him, nodded and continued forward. My concerns didn't leave me, but I found myself reassured.

I heard whispers in front of me, "I'm glad to see them getting along so well." The Master whispered to the Mistress.

"Its like they balance one another, just like Eev." I heard the Mistress giggle before falling silent.

 _We have been climbing for a while, how much further?_

I looked up, I still couldn't see the top.

I looked down to try to see how far we'd come, but I only saw black…like even the stairs were being claimed by the black.

 _What's going on? Is this an attack?!_ I started to freak.

Then I saw a light in the black floor below me and the image of a little white eevee appeared from the darkness. It looked like me from long ago.

"Uh, why do I see myself down there?" I asked.

"Oh good," Bolt said, relieved, "I'm not the only one seeing myself."

The black ground began to light up. It played images, memories, my memories. I saw myself fight off a Bibarel, fight off a huge ice creature, get bullied, fight in Terrera. I saw the moment when Eev came to my house and told me that I was to become a Glaceon.

I couldn't help but smile as I remembered my journey. The further we walked, the more lights popped into existence.

I saw myself fight off a flock of birds in Avia and battling with my friends in Cragspur. I could see all my memories float below me, as if reminding me where I came from. I saw my fights in the mineshaft, my battle for Valora, the day I got my flute and flower, but also when I met my friends.

"It's so beautiful," the Mistress gawked, "Look, look," she pointed into the black, "that's when we met Eev! Awww, you were so young then."

"So, we're all seeing our own memories?" I asked.

Everyone nodded.

"As if we're climbing up our lives to reach the top," the Master chuckled, "So then, what's the climax? Looks like we're almost there."

I looked up to see that we had almost made it to the roof.

I looked down once more, hoping to get another glimpse at the amazing spectacle, but reality had returned and nothing remained of the starry blanket of memories.

 _This is it_. I mentally prepared myself as we stepped onto the roof. The night and stars filled the air above us.

The roof was flat with steps in the center leading up to a bright light, like a throne. I noticed that the steps were on all sides. The floors were encased in black tiles, giving the whole tower an eerie feel.

When we all made it to the roof, the intense light at the top of the steps began to fade.

I was shocked as I saw a Pokémon emerge from the light. It towered over all of us. Despite his size, I recognized him. The maps of Ransei all had his general shape. Actually, seeing this Pokémon, I couldn't come up with words to describe it. The maps didn't do justice to the god-like creature that stood before us. Huge golden, glowing rings extended around his torso.

" _I am Arceus. Link with me and show me your strength_." It commanded firmly in our minds.

Before we had a chance to respond, it launched several balls of light at us.

"Scatter!" the Mistress yelled.

We all jumped out of the way as the light struck the ground where we had just been.

"Get us close," the Master commanded.

I nodded, " _Everyone, you have your orders. Weaken it so we can get the Master's close_."

" _Right_ ," a unified shout filled my mind.

It continued to fire light projectiles at us from above its pedestal.

I was forced to circle around the side with Bolt and Dim behind me.

" _Let's first try to get it off its pedestal and down to us. Current, use your water to push him off. If he doesn't come easily, Bolt hit the water with your lightning_."

Current let lose a torrent of water that pelted the Pokémon from the other side of the tower.

Bolt, at my side, fired off a Lightning Bolt when Current's attack halted.

The beast took the hit but wasn't fazed in the slightest.

The attacks of light it was sending at us became more precise and I had to focus most of my energy into predicting and dodging.

 _If Current's waves are not going to cut it, then we need to be stronger to bring it down to us,_ I thought while dodging the light projectiles. _We'll need to combine our hits, then_.

" _Blue, heat him up and do damage!_ "

" _You got it Shine_ ," I saw Blue on the other side of the tower launch a gale of flames.

" _Current knock it off its pedestal_."

" _Sure thing_ ," another title wave came crashing down on the beast, but it still didn't budge.

" _Bolt, electrify the water again. Eon, push it with your telekinesis_."

Both attacks landed in unison, adding more pressure to the great Pokemon.

"Plantora, go for the legs. Dim, the head."

Dim left my side and Plantora began to run up the stairs.

As Plantora came close, I saw that it shifted its attention for the first time. It now focused all of its attacks on Plantora as she ran up the staircase.

 _No_ , I thought, _Plantora won't be able to get close enough_!

From the shadows, Dim launched himself up at the great beast's face. The kick landed with all his momentum behind it.

For the first time, he staggered.

Plantora moved in quickly and dived into the flowing water that was desperately trying to wash away this Pokémon. Plantora swam through the current and sliced the back of its legs with Leaf Blade.

The creature fell to its knees and was washed down by the current and telekinesis.

Right before it was washed off the side of the tower, I came up to its massive form and used Blizzard to freeze it solid.

"Okay," I shouted at the Master's, "Hurry and link!"

I saw the pair come running to the iceberg. They clapped their hands together and I saw a yellowish light emanate from their palms.

The ice began to shake.

"Hurry!" I said as I fired an Ice Beam.

"You know, yelling that only makes us break concentration. This one is hard enough as it is," the Mistress said angrily.

One of Arceus' huge legs broke through the ice, sending shards flying.

I had to intercept several huge chunks of ice to stop them from hitting the Master's as they worked.

" _Blue! Keep any more of those shards from hitting the Master's. Current come and fill the hole with water. Everyone else, keep that leg down so I can freeze it_!"

They all moved in unison to their designated jobs. Current covered the entire leg in water while the rest tried to hit the leg with as much of their strength as they could.

The leg lunged at me faster than I could see. I closed my eyes, fearing the worst.

When no hit came, I opened them to see Dim holding the leg back. Not just Dim, but Current, Blue, Bolt, and Eon with her telekinesis. They had restrained the leg.

I wasted no time as I fired an Ice Beam straight at the joint where the leg met the rest of the ice and froze it. From there, it was easy to freeze the rest of the appendage.

I went to the Master's side.

"Just…a…little…more," they said struggling.

The ice started to shake.

" _Prepare for another attack_!" My friends got back into position.

The entire ice shell shattered, and I got a glimpse of just how tall the great beast was. I barely came up to its toe nail. Towered was an understatement. This Goliath slowly looked down at me. It reminded me of a much bigger Blue. I was terrified.

" _P…prepare to…Current…"_

"It's okay," the Mistress panted, "We've made a link."

"What?" I asked.

"We've won," the Master said, also out of breath.

I looked at them for a moment, not quite registering. Then it hit me in a wave of excitement, "We Won!" I shouted before exhaustion took hold and I fell on my back giggling.

My friends came up around and laughed with me.

"Yeah its over!" The Mistress and Master cheered as they came to celebrate in our little circle.

"My name is Arceus." The great beast said, "Creator of this world. I've been waiting for all of you."

I felt a restorative light wash away all my pain and exhaustion.

I looked up at the source. At our new friend Arceus, but Arceus did not return my gaze.

It looked off to the other side of the tower.

That's when I heard the one voice that I hoped I would never have to hear again, "So, the legend is true? Hm. Very well." I saw Nobunaga stand on the other side of the tower, "But Legends can be overcome with an army mighty enough."

Another Warrior came up next to him covered in orange and red armor with an Infernape, "So we meet once again. But this'll be our last battle…This time…I'm going to win!"

 _Who is this joker?_

The white robed Warrior with his Lucario, Eon's father, stepped up next to Nobunaga, "My Duty is to protect Lord Nobunaga. To that end, there is nothing I will not do!" The robed Warrior said.

"I did not imagine that we would meet on the battlefield again so soon," the steely frame of Ieyasu stepped forth with that dang Registeel. "And yet, if you will insist on standing in Lord Nobunaga's way…"

An older woman, cloaked in purple robes, stepped out with a Mismagius. "Such a battle will be a new experience for me. Thank you. I plan to enjoy it. I shall attempt to repay you by keeping your suffering to a minimum."

She creeped me out.

A black figure with menacing claws stepped from the shadows with Darkrai. The voice was the only thing that I recognized, "Let's have some fun."

I noticed bird Pokémon above me. Masamune was standing on top of a Braviary. He was mouthing something, but I couldn't hear what he was saying.

Another Warrior showed his face. This one I'd recognize any day. It was Mitsuhide and his Lapras, "Lord Nobunaga always knew this would happen. That's why we're here."

"But…" The masters reasoning was cut short.

"Hehe…It is time," a rush of air forced me back. An inky black snake shot into the sky and twirled sinuously before darting to Nobunaga's side. I saw the shiny glow of stars around the creature. It was shiny, just like me. That wasn't the only Pokémon to come from the sides of the tower, Pokémon of all types began to flood the edges. The odds started to stack against us in my mind.

 _If we win this…I don't know what to think if we do._

"Come, Rayquaza, black as night! Nobunaga and Rayquaza shall defeat this legendary Pokémon, and bring destruction to Ransei. For all our sakes."

Instantly, the Rayquaza launched itself at Arceus and they were locked in combat.

"I'll take Arceus," the Master said in a panic, "you take Shine's group!" He ran to Arceus and was lifted onto Arceus' back.

The waves of Pokémon and Warriors were charging us.

"Current!" I yelled in a hurry.

Current responded with a title wave that washed all the smaller Pokémon off the tower, but more flooded in.

I looked up to see the Master struggle with the snake that wrapped itself around Arceus.

 _"Don't worry about it, Shine, that's not our fight,"_ the Mistress commanded.

I looked over to see the approach of old and new enemies. Their progress was slowed so the Registeel could keep up.

I saw this as the crucial time we needed.

The bird Pokémon flying above started to dive at us. Some of the larger Pokémon, not swept away by Current's blast, descended on us.

" _Shine, Bolt, focus on the Bird. Keep them off the group. Eon, Dim, Plantora, fight off these low-level Pokémon around us. Make sure the area is clear. Blue, Current, take pot shots at the oncoming enemy. Try to see if you can widdle them down_." The Mistress barked orders at us. I was a little surprised to hear someone else give me commands. My initial surprise changed to relief when I realized I wasn't going to have to be the one to come up with the strategies.

Confident in the Mistress's ability to lead, I focused all my attention on the skies. I fired off multiple Ice Beams, but none of them managed to land a hit.

The swooping birds began diving in aerial attacks, but Bolt's lighting forced them to break off.

I fired a few more Ice beams before I heard a distressed shout in my mind, "Shine!"

Something slammed into the side of my head, leaving me staggering and dazed. As the ringing in my ears subsided, I turned to see a Bisharp advancing.

A whirling inferno replaced the Bisharp, driving me back and further shocking my already abused senses. "Shine!" Blue thought, "I can't believe I'm the one telling you this, but you have to be more aware."

 _I shouldn't have relied on the Mistress so much. Stupid_. I mentally kicked myself. I quickly darted away from a pair of talons that would have done more than just hit me over the head. _Need to stay focused! Right_!

I took a quick survey of the battle. Current and Blue were firing random shots into Nobunaga's main force who inched toward us at the speed of a Registeel. Current and Blue used their speed to keep their distance while continuing to pelt them with ranged attacks. Pokémon kept coming from the sides of the tower. Arceus was still locked in combat. _So many things to keep track of. I need to focus on all of them_.

I looked back up to the sky to see a Braivary three meters from sinking its talons into me. _Not_ _again!_ I fired a point-blank Ice Beam and was rewarded by an ice-bird to the face. I worked my way out from under the Braviarycicle only to be greeted by a stone edge from a Bouldore. _This day just keeps getting better and better_ , I chuckled darkly. Compared to what I'd been dealing with, I barely felt this attack. I dispatched him surprisingly quickly with an ice beam.

I looked back to the skies and I quickly became irritated with the bird's erratic movements. I fired off a Blizzard in the general direction of one of the avians. The attack managed to knock three out of the sky.

Before I could revel in my victory, an Aura Sphere grazed my back.

I turned to see a Lucario charging me at lightning speed. He tried to hit me with a Bone Rush but I quickly dodged and formed a wall of ice as a shield.

" _Change of Plans_ ," the Mistress shouted, " _Everyone focus on Nobunaga's main fighters. Dim, keep the weaker Pokémon off the group_!"

Well not like I have much choice now, I quipped right before the wall of ice was shattered by an Aura Sphere. I leapt back and was able to fire an Icy Wind at the Lucario. It didn't do much damage, but managed to slow him down.

He tried to get close with a Close Combat. Thankfully, however, my attacks had slowed his movements enough that he couldn't keep up with my dodges.

I felt a strong heat source emanate from behind me. I quickly dodged a Fire Spin from an Infernape before it was tackled by Current.

The burning flames managed to melt the ice on the Lucario.

 _Awww, great._

Freed, the Lucario rushed at me.

A laser beam of psychic energy pelted the Lucario and sent him reeling.

Eon came up to me, "Be more careful and remember, we're fighting _together_."

I couldn't help but smile and nod before the Lucario got back to his paws.

Deino, Aron and ghastly surrounded and charged us.

My Icy Wind sliced through their ranks. The few that escaped my frozen breath were taken out by Eon.

While we were distracted, Lucario had recovered and hit me with a Force Palm.

I was knocked momentary senseless before snapping back to reality. I ignored the minor aches and pains as I focused on a now limp Lucario.

Eon smiled triumphantly over the unconscious form, " _I just needed to place one good shot. Thanks, Shine, for wearing him down_."

" _Now's not the time_ ," I thought, surveying the battle for our next opponent. I spotted Current fighting off the Infernape. I noticed that the Infernape was completely exhausted. _Easy faint_.

" _Follow me_ ," I thought to Eon as we rushed over to the Infernape.

Current tried to use a Water Pulse, but the Infernape dodged the attack and streaked in for a Mach Punch.

I intercepted the Infernape with the only move that could keep up with the speedy Mach Punch, my Quick attack. The hit did a lot more damage than I realized as the Infernape was completely knocked off target.

Eon fired off one of her Psyshock's.

The Infernape was struggling to move.

Current took the opportunity to attack and struck him with a Hydro Pump. The move connected and the Infernape fell still.

Upon seeing his foe fall, Current ran to my side. " _Thanks. What's next_?"

Bolt also appeared, " _Hey, grouping up without me_?"

" _Yes! We're stronger together! Let's keep this up! Next we'll save_ …" I looked around and saw Plantora struggling to take down the Mismagius, " _…Looks like Plantora could use our help._ "

They nodded in unison and followed me.

Plantora stuck the ghostly form with her leafy blades, but did little damage. She back flipped away when the Mismagius turned to face her.

The ghost fired a Shadow Ball at Plantora.

A Thunder Bolt arced straight into the ghostly ball and it exploded into dark smoke.

Current doused the Ghost from behind with a Water Pulse and I fired off an Ice Beam. The combo froze the ghost solid and it didn't break from the ice again.

" _Are you okay Plantora_ ," Eon thought as she rushed to her side.

" _Yeah, I'm okay, thanks to you guys_."

" _Still, one last friend to save_ ," I thought, as I looked at Blue trying desperately to take on the Registeel by herself.

" _Let's go save the little hot head_ ," Plantora chirped.

" _Finally get to have my revenge for what that thing did to Shine_ ," Bolts anger permeated her thought.

" _Calm down and focus. We will beat it together_ ," I soothed.

" _Right!_ "

I nodded at Bolt and moved towards the Registeel.

Blue dodged another of the beast's steely hands.

Panting, Blue fired another Fire Spin at the metal.

It charged through the flames, untouched by the heat.

" _Grrrrr, how much fire does it take to bring you down_!" She thought in frustration.

The metal form came close enough to launch another attack, this time intent on ending the fight.

Eon used her telekinesis to lift the hunk of metal over blue and slam it into the ground behind her.

Plantora used a Frenzy Plant to nail the beast to the floor.

Current darted in and used Surf, dousing the beast in water.

Bolt electrocuted the Registeel with Thunder.

I launched Blizzard and froze the Regi into a solid block of ice.

After a moment of silence, we all cheered.

"Take that you hunk of Steel!" Bolt cheered.

Then the ice broke and the steely beast got to its feet.

" _Awww, come OOOONNNN_!" Bolt whined.

Before the Registeel could do anything, Arceus' foot came out of nowhere and slammed the ground right where the beast stood.

The shock wave sent me flying. While flipping through the air, something about the Pokémon climbing the tower caught my eye.

I hit the ground with a thud as pain exploded through me. _Well this feels familiar_.

I looked at the Pokémon who had just finished climbing the tower and noticed the pinkish aura around them.

" _Shine_ ," I heard my friends call out.

Dim was the only one who was able to come to my aid.

I struggled to my feet before she reached my side, " _Dim, I need you to cover me. I plan on taking out whatever is helping all of these Pokémon_."

Dim nodded.

I looked over the edge and found what I was looking for. A tall Gothitelle was supporting the Pokémon's ascent with her psychic powers.

" _That's our target. Can you throw me_?"

Dim's eyes widened and he shook his head. Instead, he revealed a grappling hook.

" _Well, I guess that is safer_ …"

Dim stared crossly at me.

" _What?! It was just the first thing that came to mind_."

Dim rolled his eyes and tied the grappling hook around my waist.

I leapt over the side and pelted all the enemies who were trying to climb the tower.

" _Shine_!" I heard Dim think angrily, " _don't ever do that again_." I looked up to see Dim standing at the edge, struggling to support me with shaking arms and sweat beading on his grimacing face.

Whoa! Did Dim just speak to me?! I really messed up this time! " _Oops_ ," I said in a small, apologetic voice. " _Can you get me over to that Gothitelle_?"

" _Not with your weight_ ," I heard the strain in his thoughts.

Eon's head popped over the side next to Dim, " _You know, Shine, if you're looking for some help, I'm happy to oblige_ ," something about the edge in the tone made me think this wasn't such a good idea.

Before I had time to say anything, Eon telekinetically threw me across the tower. I couldn't help the scream that escaped my lips. I was careening towards the gothitelle at an alarming rate.

I focused and managed to swing my legs around to land atop the floating gothitelle. The gothitelle was so startled by my unexpected arrival on its head that its psychic field was broken and it started to plummet.

 _You're not getting away that easily._ I thought as I fired off an Ice Beam at the tower below us.

A thick sheet of ice acted as a platform as the gothitelle crashed into it.

I stayed on her head and tried to freeze her with Icy Wind.

The gothitelle's psychic powers ripped me free and sent me flying across the frozen shelf.

I jumped to my paws and was astonished at what I saw, "Gothia?"

The gothitelle stopped for a moment and her expression softened, "Shine?"

"It's been so long Gothia, it's nice to see you," I said as I fired off an Ice Beam straight at her face.

"It's nice to see you too Shine," she said with glee as she deflected my shot and responded with a Psybeam.

I quickly dodged the Psybeam and tried to tackle her, "Sorry that I couldn't fight you in Nixitrom."

She stopped me with her Psychic, "Well, were fighting now. Let's give it all we've got."

"Well, if you say it like that," a malicious smile crossed my face. I focused my cold into a single point and fired off a Blizzard.

Gothia was swept off her feet, but stopped midair with her telekinesis. "Now that was just mean," she said trying to catch her breath.

I didn't allow her any room to breathe, I shot multiple Icy Wind's in her direction.

Gothia struggled to block them.

I heard a wing flap and turned my icy gale skyward.

I only saw it for a second, the form of a Braviary swooping down towards me. Fortunately, my Icy Wind was at full blast.

It instantly turned to ice and plummeted down the tower.

Gothia hadn't let my distraction go to waste. When I turned to face her, she was rushing me.

 _Getting desperate, are we?_

I moved backwards until my rear touched the tower and waited for the right moment to strike. Concern mixed with fear as I realized she was trying to use Brick Break!

 _Calm down Shine. Just continue as planned_.

Gothia bore down on me with Brick Break in her left hand.

I dodged to the right and grabbed hold of her right arm with my appendages. I used her arm as a swing to propel me onto her back. I lunged at her with the most powerful Bite I could muster.

I heard Gothia cry out before she shook me off her back.

I stood at the ready for her next attack.

She looked at me, fatigue slowly filling her features. "Sorry Shine, but I'm afraid I can't keep going like you. Maybe next time…we can have a match…without my…powers being diverted."

She collapsed.

I heard screams as Pokémon who were scaling the tower with Gothia's telekinetic powers plummeted to the ground far below.

When I looked down, I saw the horrifying face of Rayquaza rocketing up at me.

The legendary flew past me. I was caught in the gale that followed and lifted upwards.

I summersaulted through the sky before I touched down with a mighty thud on the top of the tower.

My body ached, sluggish and heavy. My muscles quivered as I pushed to my paws. _When is this going to end? I don't think I can take much more._

My friends came up to me.

" _What now?_ " Current asked.

A shadowy form appeared behind us.

" _Now, we run_!"

Each of us jumped in different directions to avoid the Dark Pulse that streaked at us.

I turned to face the Darkrai. "I was you're ally once before, but no longer. The Master ends here." The pitch-black form fired off another Dark Pulse directly at me.

I jumped to the side and fired an Ice Beam in retaliation.

Darkrai flew upwards to avoid the attack, but I noticed it was slow to dodge.

" _I've worn him down, the rest is up to you Shine_ ," the otherworldly voice of Arceus informed me.

I smiled up at the goliath before turning all my attention towards Darkrai.

" _Take it down_ ," I commanded to my friends.

Weary smiles appeared on their faces and the unified thought echoed back to me, "yes ma'am!"

Bolt was the first to rush in with a Thunderbolt.

The Darkrai dodged the bolts of lightning. Before it could counter attack, I fired an Ice Beam.

At the same time, Blue bellowed a Flamethrower.

All Darkrai could do was counter the attacks with his own Dark Pulse. The three moves clashed, fighting for dominance.

Plantora took the opportunity to attack. She darted toward Darkrai and jumped, blades ready to strike.

Darkrai saw Plantora and dropped.

Both Blue and I ceased our attacks moments before they hit Plantora.

Seeing his plan fail, Darkrai fired a Dark Pulse straight upward into Plantora, sending her flying.

" _AAAAWWWWWWW!_ " I covered my ears in vain to block out Plantora's screaming thoughts.

"Eon!" I shouted.

"I know, I know," The screams died down as Eon caught Plantora in her telekinetic field.

Darkrai took aim at Eon.

Dim disrupted the attack with his own Dark Pulse.

I could see the Darkrai getting increasingly frustrated. A dark ball started to form between his hands.

" _Prepare yourselves_!" I warned.

The Darkrai released hundreds of tiny black spheres everywhere.

One was easy to dodge, but there were so many of them I found it hard to keep track. Fortunately for me, I've been having that problem all day and I've grown rather accustomed to it.

My friends, however, weren't so lucky. Plantora, Bolt, Current and Eon were all struck by the small spheres and consumed by black. When the black dissipated, they were asleep.

Once the spheres faded, Blue and Dim linked up with me.

"What do we do now?" Blue asked.

"Follow my lead," I ordered. I spun around and charged the Darkrai.

It launched a Dark Pulse at us. I reacted instinctively by moving to the side and fired an Ice Beam right beneath the Darkrai, creating a pillar of ice.

I leapt towards the ice pillar, using it as a springboard to propel myself towards the Darkrai's shadowy form.

"We are not doing this again, Shine!" Blue yelled at me.

 _Don't worry that's not what I was thinking_. I froze myself to his form and let my body temperature drop so I wouldn't be thrown off. I carefully aimed for the pillar of ice I had made earlier, complicated by Darkrai's erratic movements. Once I had a clear shot at the target, I fired my Ice Beam and the pillar extended towards us.

Without the Darkrai realizing what was happening, the pillar of ice encased me and stuck to Darkrai.

I looked to Dim and Blue who watched from the sidelines, mouth agape. _Hello?! Can't you see I'm holding him in place! Attack already! This is hard to do without Eon connecting us!_

I tried to communicate with my eyes, but it didn't seem to register. I tried to think of some way to tell them. _Let's see, if I can control my body temp, I could melt the ice, but that will melt all the ice and free Darkrai. How do I do this? Localize my body temp to one leg? To one side of one leg? Worth a shot._ I focused as I recalled Eev's temperature training. I forced the temperature in my left leg to rise, thawing it, and dropped the temperature in the right, keeping it frozen. Using this technique, I was able to reach out and poke a hole through my frozen cage.

"WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE?! HIT HIM ALREADY!"

My screams apparently snapped the two back to reality and they began pelting the Darkrai with attacks.

I felt the Darkrai fall limp.

I rolled my eyes, _It's about time_.

Blue melted the icy prison, freeing the limp Darkrai and I.

Exhausted and panting I said, "okay…what's next?" I took in the battlefield. Unconscious Pokémon littered every square meter. The only things moving were my friends waking up from their slumber and Arceus locked in fierce combat with Rayquaza.

Eon reconnected us.

" _That was the worst nightmare I've ever had. Can I just rest for a bit?_ " Current struggled to stand.

" _The battle isn't over yet_ ," the Mistress told us, " _Rayquaza is still a threat. Fortunately, we have an easy plan_."

" _Arceus and I will lock onto Rayquaza and hold him steady_ ," the Master thought, clearly strained, " _you seven will then fire your strongest attacks_."

" _All like Shine style, right?_ " Blue quipped, " _hold down an enemy and hit us both with attacks?_ "

" _Your attacks can't hurt me, so don't worry about holding back_." Arceus thought confidently.

The Mistress gathered up my group and we waited to set our plan in motion.

Rayquaza soared through the sky and dove.

Arceus took the hit. It lifted one of its ginormous legs and wrapped itself around the snake-like form. Rayquaza did the same, wrapping its tail around Arceus' neck.

My friends and I lined up for our barrage. We each prepared our strongest attacks. Bolt readied a Thunder, Current a Hydropump, Blue an Overheat, Dim a Dark Pulse, Eon a Psychic and Plantora a Frenzy Plant.

I prepared my own attack. I collected every ounce of energy and strength I had in my body and focused it into a single point. I felt my own body beginning to fail as I stripped it of its strength. The energy coalesced into a highly condensed ball right in front of my mouth. The light that emanated from it was blinding.

"Fire!" The Mistress commanded.

All my friends fired their attacks simultaneously. I was a little slower to aim. It was hard to control all this power.

The Rayquaza let out a cry of agony as the attacks landed.

I finally managed to line up my attack and I used Hyper Beam.

I was consumed by light and blissfully surrendered to it as everything else faded.


	20. Chapter 20 Ransei

A white fog filled my vision.

"Shine!" A muffled voice penetrated the mist.

 _What, who is that?_ I thought, trying to snuggle further into the soft warmth.

"Shine! Wake up!"

The fog started to lift, and my senses reluctantly returned to a shaking world.

"Shine!" Plantora called desperately, shaking me even more vigorously.

"I'm awake, I'm awake!" I croaked, my voice surprising me with its weakness.

Plantora held me in her paws. I saw all my friends huddled around me, each wearing their own expression of worry. The sight brought a smile to my face.

"Why are you smiling?!" Blue said angrily.

"Its just…" _why was I smiling_ , "Is it over?"

"Don't worry about that. You just fainted after your attack. Are you okay?" Plantora asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied as I struggled to feel anything.

"You'd be moving your head if you were fine," Blue stated flatly with anger in her eyes.

I tried to turn to look at her, but my neck refused to respond. "Ehehe…just a little tired?" I pleaded, hoping they would buy my flimsy excuse.

Plantora dropped me.

"What was that for?" I asked in surprised irritation.

"If you're 'just a little tired' then you should be able to get up on your own," Plantora spoke in a condescending tone.

I tried to reach out to my legs, tried to get them to move. Nothing. I got nothing.

"Fine! I can't move! You happy?!" I stated in defeat.

"Better," Eon said before applying a Hyper Potion.

Strength crawled slowly back into my body.

I struggled to get my paws under me. I wobbled as I lost my balance several times, but my friends supported me whenever I started to falter.

I walked over to the Master and Mistress as they stood with Arceus, watching Nobunaga.

"Why Nobunaga? Why keep fighting?" The Master asked.

"Do you not understand?" Nobunaga asked, "Throughout the land, Warriors fought endless battles driven by the quest for the legendary Pokémon. These conflicts continued for years, long before you or I ever came to power. More and more Warriors began to treat their Pokémon, their partners, as little more than tools. Many Warriors lost the ability to feel love for their Pokémon. It was for this reason that Nobunaga sought to unite Ransei. If he could prove to all that he was the most powerful Warrior in Ransei, then perhaps all the fighting would stop." I could hear the resolve in his words.

Nobunaga started to get heated, "The legendary Pokémon is just that! A legend! A story made up to frighten children! People went to the ends of the earth in search of it, and yet, even if they managed to get their hands on it, its fearsome power would cause them to lose their minds. That is why I will destroy this Arceus!" He roared "The legend that has stolen the very heart of my beloved Ransei." Here Nobunaga's voice wavered and lowered, as if reconsidering, "And yet you two, even before Arceus, you have retained your clarity. Perhaps you two are the one…"

" _I have seen how much you both care for this world_." Arceus' voice filled our heads, " _Thus, I will entrust its care to you_."

Tears welled in my eyes at his statements, "I don't know much about what's going on, but I fight for my friends. I want to keep them safe no matter what and they all feel the same for me. We don't fight for a legend, we fight for each other."

"What you say is true," the Master firmly stated, "We've seen it with our own eyes, just as you have."

"But now the legend is no longer," the Mistress said, "no one will ever be motivated by the quest for the legendary Pokémon as long as we have it. We can create a land of peace. A land where Pokémon and Warriors fight like Shine, fight for each other. Nobunaga? Can you come and help us build that world?" The Mistress reached out a hand.

Nobunaga smiled, "I can think of no better people to lead this, my beloved land, than you two." He took the Mistress's hand, "I'll fight for peace for Ransei."

I couldn't help but smile. _It's all over_.

The horizon started to brighten.

The sunrise was an awe-inspiring spectacle. I limped over to the edge to get a better glimpse. I couldn't take my eyes off the pure beauty.

"The sun is rising on a new Ransei," the Master said.

"A new sun for a new land," Nobunaga acknowledged, "what I have only seen in my dreams is finally a reality."

"Nobunaga!"

" _With your hands, this world will be born anew_." Arceus said, " _It is all thanks to Shine here_."

I immediately blushed with stars forming around me, "What?! No! It's not all me, my friends helped a lot and the Masters did a lot of work too…"

"Yeah," Blue said, "what about the work we did."

"You're right," the Mistress said with a devilish smile, "and you should be rewarded for your work."

I immediately stepped away, not wanting anything to do with what was going to happen.

"You're right, I should get a re…eeeekkkk" her words trailed off in a squeak as Blue was snatched up in the Mistresses arms and squeezed so hard I thought I saw her eyes popping out.

"Awww," she squealed, "you're so soft and warm."

Blue only choked.

Spontaneous laughter filled the air.

I walked up to Arceus and asked, "Hey Arceus, why wasn't Eev allowed to come in."

The three-story form of Arceus turned its face towards me. I couldn't help but feel intimidated.

" _Eev wasn't allowed in because Eev wasn't you, Shiny Snow_."

 _Because Eev's not me? That's not very helpful._

" _I know_ ,"

 _Great, you can read my thoughts too._

" _Eev fights by herself and expects her friends to do the same. You, Shine, fight with your friends, becoming stronger together. Eev might have won this battle, but Eev would never have won Nobunaga's heart. You, however, desire to protect those you love and that is what gives Nobunaga hope for the future of Ransei_."

I lowered my head at the thought that Eev would have lost.

"Look alive, Shine," my group rushed up to me, "doesn't this mean you're better than Eev?"

I wiped away a tear, "I will be the judge of that, in a proper battle. We shouldn't focus on that any longer."

"Nobunaga agrees with Shine," Nobunaga said, "we should get started. There's a lot to do."

"Together, we will make it a reality," I said to all my friends around me as I watched the rising sun.


	21. Afterward

I watched my small little crowd of Pokémon with a smile as they sat mystified. I took a long deep breath before saying, "and that's how the first Shiny Pokémon, Shiny Snow, came to unite all of Ransei. The End." The silence that followed was one of my favorite things when telling stories.

"What?! That's it?!" A little purple nidorino protested, "There's got to be more!"

"Stop that," the large nidoqueen behind the child scolded him.

I could only smile at the little one, "Well…there is the story of the two Heroes of Ransei, but I'm not sure you'll like that story." I looked to the sun behind me as it dipped below the horizon. "Besides, it's a little late to be starting another story."

I heard a unified "awwww" from the children.

The adults however were in heated discussion about the story, "There's no way a Ransei even existed. The tale is obviously false," an electrode stated.

"I don't know," a Lapras said, thinking deeply, "there are a surprising number of tales that originate from the Ransei continent. I wouldn't be surprised if it did exist."

"No Pokémon could survive that amount of damage. It's impossible. It's obviously fake. Some made up fantasy," a beedrill buzzed.

"I don't know about that," a golem protested, "I once saw a kanguskang nearly die to protect her young. I'd believe that some Pokémon could withstand that amount of punishment."

All I could do was smile at the discussions. It filled me with such joy just to have them talk about one of my stories.

"Mom?" My daughter, who stood next to me the whole time, was absolutely beaming, "Did you really meet Shine?"

I smiled and patted her on the head with my golden paw. "I sure did. It was a long time ago. I was about your age when I met her actually."

"Really!" her eyes sparkled like stars, "So I get my own great story to tell too?!"

"Maybe, but you have to search for it," I smiled at her joy.

"I'll search for it right now!" she boldly exclaimed before running off into the crowd of adults.

Only now I could admire the scenery. The grassy field was a great place for storytelling. The forest in the background and the ocean cliff behind me only added to the ambiance of the story.

The group started to gravitate towards the forest. A voice called out for me, "Hey Lucent! You coming?"

"Be there in a minute!" I cried back.

I looked off towards the setting sun. I felt the cool Kanto breeze brush my golden mane. I smiled, clutching a small bamboo flute as only one thought escaped my lips, "I wish I could have been more like you Shine. My idol."


End file.
